First
by laurenbooks125
Summary: Eva is auditioning to be the new Prima Donna in the Opera Populaire. There are plenty of other talented girls auditioning, but they all run away once they hear the story of the Phantom of the Opera. But, Eva doesn't care. She would actually like to meet him, but he probably isn't real. She isn't scared of him. And he isn't scared either. If she wants to meet him so bad, so be it.
1. My First Audience

_**Hey guys, so this is my new story. I am hoping you like it, and I am hoping to make it a bunch of chapters! I know this chapter is short, but the others will be longer. Promise. So don't forget to review, follow, and favorite! Thanks!**_

_**~Lauren**_

**Chapter 1**

**My First Audience**

Eva had always wanted to be an opera singer, and this was finally her chance. She was in line with a million other girls just waiting to audition for the Opera Populaire. Her parents always told her that opera was not a fulfilling career, and that she needed to get somewhere in life and make money. Well today was the day she was going to prove them wrong. There were only two other girls in front of her and her stomach was starting to churn. _Is this really happening? _She asked herself. She smiled to herself in absolute excitement. _This is happening. _

Another girl whizzed by her, running away. There were a ton of girls running away from the opera house once they heard about the mysterious Phantom of the Opera. But, Eva didn't care. She always found herself fascinated by supernatural beings. If she did get to work in this opera house, she would want to meet this mysterious Phantom, and find out if he actually is there. There was one more girl before her. As she walked onto the stage, her heart jumped. She was just after this girl. As the girl began to sing a couple seconds after she walked in, she could honestly say she was terrible. _She sounds like a dying goose! _Eva thought. She giggled at her thought and the other girls glared at her as if she was crazy. Then the girl inside stops singing all of a sudden. _Oh, thank God._ A few seconds after she stops, the girl comes running out crying. _She was obviously rejected. _

"NEXT!" she hears a man's voice scream. This was it, this was her only shot at perusing her dreams. _I am going to prove my parents wrong. I am. _Eva walks in with her head held high, and her chest out, walking lightly on her tip toes. She was only five foot at twenty years old and she hated it. She always walked on her tip toes to make herself seem taller. When she gets out onto the stage, she runs over to the right side of the stage and hands the pianist her music. She then scurries to the front of the stage and puts her hands together right at her belly button. There are two men and a woman sitting in the seats in front of her, her legs start wobbling. The lady nods and says, "Whenever you are ready, mademoiselle." She nods at the lady, then looks at the pianist and nods, ready for him to start playing. She takes a deep breath and starts to sing the song from "Hannibal". They were looking for a new Prima Donna after the other one left, and Eva was hoping this was her chance.

_Think of me,_

_Think of me fondly when we said goodbye._

_Remember me, _

_Every so often, _

_Promise me you'll try. _

_On that day,_

_That no so distant day,_

_When you were far away and free._

_If you ever find a moment,_

_Spare a thought for me. _

Eva is finished singing and she is just waiting for them to say anything. She is breathing heavily, but is trying to hold it back. The two men look at each other, then stand up. When they walk to the edge of the stage, Eva is expecting the worst, but the man on the left, says, "That was fantastic! Absolutely brilliant!" he chuckles. The other man next to him nods in agreement. Eva is so happy she can't contain herself. "Thank you so much!" she musters through breaths. Then the other man on the right says, "I think we can all agree that you are definitely in! Congratulations and we will see you tomorrow!" Eva smiles bigger than she has before. "Thank you so much!" The men nod. "And would you believe that you are my first audience?" Both of the men bulge the eyes and head out. "Are you serious?" the one on the right asks. Eve nods, giggle. The men chuckle again. The man on the left says, "Well, thank you so much for coming out and we will see you tomorrow!" As Eva starts to walk out the man says, "Oh, and by the way, I am Andre. This is Firmin." He says pointing to the other man. Then he gestures to the woman, who Eva realized had not said anything to her. "That is Madame Giry, the ballet mistress." Madame Giry nods wither arms crossed and a dull look on her face. Eva nods at her, and the skips away back stage.

Andre and Firmin then turn around and stare at Madame Giry and glare at her. "What was the about?" Firmin asks her. She gets up out of the chair and comes face to face with the men. She shakes her head at them as her eyes narrow. The men just shrug. "What?" Firmin asks. Madame Giry sighs. "You don't see it?" "See what?" Andre asks. Madame Giry takes a few steps backward. "She is exactly like Christine."

"_He _will not be pleased."


	2. This Girl

_**So this is the second chapter to "First"! I am assuming you guys like it, but it was only the first chapter, so how can I judge! Well anyway, don't forget to follow, favorite, and review! Thanks!**_

_**~Lauren**_

**Chapter 2**

**This Girl**

Erik was sitting in his regular box, Box Five, watching the auditions for the new Prima Donna. A lot of the girls could not live up to Christine, and Andre, Firmin, and Madame Giry knew. Erik knew they knew. They better know. No one will _ever _replace Christine. Erik is just laying back in his seat, but he immediately jumps up when he sees a beautiful girl walk in. "It can't be…" he whispers. Erik gets out of his seat and walks to the edge of the box. He needs to see and hear this girl. When she opens her mouth and sings, it sounds like angels. He is instantly mesmerized by her sweet voice. He closed his eyes and started to sway to the familiar tune from "Hannibal". He suddenly feels his lips curve upward, and he cannot believe he is smiling. He hasn't smiled since Christine left him.

When the young lady is done singing, Erik opens his eyes and sighs. He starts to tear up. He whispers once more, "She sounds exactly like…oh god." He watches Andre and Firmin walk up to the girl. He hears them tell her that she is the new Prima Donna, and Erik feels his heart jump. He is very happy. But he needs to stop himself. "She is not Christine. Stop thinking that." He whispers to himself. As that girl walks away, he hears Madame Giry say that that girl is exactly like Christine. And she is exactly right. Then he hears her say the he will not be pleased. Erik chuckles.

He ducks behind the wall of the box and then says loudly, "Oh am I very pleased! She is magnificent….just magnificent. Make sure you tell her about me. Please, messieurs. Or I will out matters into my own hands." He hears Andre and Firmin mumble a few words to themselves and then they yell for the next girl to come in. Erik then gets up off of the floor and walks to the side of the box. He pulls on a piece of the wall and it reveals a passageway. He puts his foot down and he walks down multiple steps to his lair.

Once he gets to his lair, he walks over to his desk and grabs a piece of parchment. He takes his quill and dips in ink. He starts to write a letter to the new Prima Donna.

_Dear Prima Donna,_

_Although I do not know your name, I would like to welcome you to my opera house. I am sure you will not disappoint. I am also, definitely sure that you have heard many stories about me and my dark past with this theatre. But those dark days are over, and I hope you will not flee like all the others. You seem very lovely. Very, very lovely._

_O.G. _

He folds the letter up and closes it with his signature red skull. He then gets up and takes another passageway to the Prima Donna's dressing room. He places the letter on the desk. Erik stares at the letter for a few seconds before taking a rose, with a black ribbon around it, out of his pocket. He puts it lightly next to the letter. He starts to walk towards the passageway in which he came, but he can't help of thinking of Christine. This girl was exactly like Christine. This girl sounded like her. This girl looked like her. He even had Christine's beautiful smile. He needed to keep an eye on this girl.

This girl was special.


	3. The Delivery

_**Bonjour! So this is Chapter 3, and the story is getting better (I hope you think so)! This chapter is longer and has a bit more action. I hope you guys are liking this story because I am planning for this to be a lot of chapters! Thanks for reading and don't forget to follow, favorite, and review! **_

_**~Lauren**_

**Chapter 3**

**The Delivery **

Eva was surprised to see a note sitting on her desk since she had only been in the Opera Populaire for a couple of hours. Who could have sent her a note? She picks up the rose first and caresses it while smelling it. Was this a sign of love or just respect? She didn't know, but maybe the letter would help. She picks up the letter and turns it over to open it. But she shudders, seeing the red skull. Her heart rate goes up, and she slowly tears the letter open. She slowly pulls out the letter, scared of what she will read. But, as she is reading the letter, she smiles. It was a very nice letter. She sets it back on her desk and sits down. As she is combing her hair, all she can think about is the last two sentences. "_You seem very lovely. Very, very lovely._"

_What did he mean by that? Did this mysterious and secret man like her? _A million thoughts were coming into Eva's head and she couldn't help but desperately wanting to know who this man was. _Why did he have to be mysterious? _And that was when it hit her. He is mysterious, secretive, and there was a red skull to seal the letter. "It couldn't be…" She refused to accept this. If it was the Phantom, she just wanted to meet the man. Eva sets down her brush and turns in her chair to face the mirror. She heard all the stories from her friend, Meg Giry, and all the other ballet girls, about how the Phantom came through the mirrors to visit that other girl. _What was her name? Oh right, Christine. _She thought about it. And then she sighed. "I must send a letter back. It is only polite." She says to herself quietly.

Eva then goes rummaging through the desk drawers to look for a piece of paper and something to write with. Finally she finds some parchment sitting with a quill and ink. She grabs them carefully, making sure she doesn't drop the ink all over her dress. She dips her quill in ink and starts to write a nice letter.

_Dear O.G.,_

_ Thank you for all those things you said about me. I truly appreciate your respect and welcome. I hope to know your name too. I would also like for us to meet, I know we could become great friends! I have left this letter in your box, and I would like you to please leave your response on the same chair. So, I hope to see you soon, hopefully. Thank you again, monsieur. _

_-Eva Wilkinson _

She then lightly blows on the letter to help the ink dry. Then she slowly folds it up and puts it in an envelope she also found in one of the drawers. As soon as she is about to get up and put the letter in the box, Meg Giry comes running through the door screaming, "You got a letter from the Phantom?!" Eva's eyes practically pop out of her head. "How did you find that out?" Meg gasps. "So it is true?!" Eva sighs and runs behind Meg to close the door. After she slams the door shut, she runs back in front of Meg. "Yes…No…I don't know. He didn't say in the letter that he was the Phantom. So, I am not positive." Meg furrows her brow and sighs. "Well," she replies, "How was the letter signed?" Eva shrugs and says, "It was signed O.G." Meg's eyes bulge and she gasps, once more. "That is how the Phantom signs all his letters! It means "Opera Ghost"! You got a letter from the Phantom!" Eva starts to pace back and forth in front of Meg. "Well what am I supposed to do? You know more about him than I do. I have been here for not even 12 hours!"

Meg walks closer to Eva and grabs her forearms. She then stops pacing, and they are looking eye to eye. "I think that you should reply to him, and see what he says." Eva nods and Meg looks over at the desk. She scurries over to the desk and grabs the red rose with the black ribbon. "He…gave…you…a rose. Oh, my, gosh." Eva rushes over to Meg and grabs the rose out of her hands and hold it close to her chest. "What's wrong with that? What does it mean? Meg, please tell me!" Meg takes a deep breath. "It is just like Christine all over again." She whispers. She then turns and faces Eva again. "Listen, just write him a letter, and see if he shows any more signs of emotion. Has he show any more than the rose?" Eva has a worried look on her face and Meg bulges her eyes out. "Eva, what did he say?" Eva presses her lips together tightly, not wanting to say anything, but then all of a sudden, she just bursts it out. "He told me I was '_Very, very lovely.' _Oh, my, gosh, Meg! You have to help me! I don't know what this means!" Meg just shakes her and shrugs.

"Meg, I already wrote a letter back to him. Will you come with me and deliver it to Box Five?" Meg exhales and her shoulders drop. "Ok, fine. But let's do it now. The Phantom is always lurking around at night." Eva nods, grabs the letter on the desk and rushes out the door.

Once they get to the box, the slowly creep in, hooping the Phantom would not be there at the time. As they get farther into the box, they soon realize that he isn't there and they both exhale in relief. Then they both stop in the middle of the box, knowing what to do. Meg nudges Eva and whispers, "Go on! Put it on a seat!" Eva bulges her eyes at her and makes a face. Then she slowly creeps up and drops the letter on a seat. She sighs and walks back over to Meg. As they are turning to walk out of the box, the feel a _whoosh _of air, and banging. It sounds like someone is running. They both turn quickly, and expect to see the Phantom there. But they see nothing. Eva tip toes up to the seat where she dropped the letter. She gasps. She then whispers to Meg,

"The letter is gone."


	4. Meeting

_**Hey guys! So, I hope you are liking the story! But, I haven't got any reviews yet, so I am just assuming you like it! So anyway in this chapter, there is a lot more of Eva and Erik interaction. So I hope you guys like it. Review, follow, and favorite! **_

_**~Lauren**_

**Chapter 4 **

**Meeting**

"She wants to meet me." Erik is utterly shocked that someone actually wants to _meet _him. Erik smiles. "No one has ever, _ever _wanted to meet me before…" he whispers to himself. He brings his hand up this mask, knowing that that is the reason he has no friends. He thinks about the first time Christine saw his wicked face. He cringes and quickly beings his hand down in a fist. He is not sure if he should let Eva meet him. If they become close enough, she will want to see his face. And she will not like it. No one does. Erik sighs and shrugs. He keeps whispering to himself. "What should I do? She seems very nice, but what will she think of me?" He peers back down at her letter. "I will take a risk!" He grabs a piece of parchment and a quill. He dips it in ink and starts to write his response.

_Dear Mademoiselle Wilkinson,_

_ I would be delighted for us to meet. Please be in your dressing room by 6:15 pm tonight. I will meet you in there. We may either stay in your dressing room, or you can come with me to my home. It is your choice. I hope to see you then. _

_O.G._

He folds up his letter and places it in an envelope. He then seals it with a red skull. And then takes a passageway to her dressing room and drops it off at her desk.

Eva checks her watch. It is currently 6:10. The Phantom should be here in five minutes to meet her. She is pacing back and forth thinking about what they are going to talk about. She starts to talk out loud. "I could tell him my full name, my favorite color, food, and simple things like that! Just nothing too personal, I can't talk about that without crying. But what else could we talk about? Oh! We could talk about music and opera. I know he loves music!" She checks her watch once again. 6:12. Eva sighs. She starts to pace even faster. "Where is even coming from? Oh, right the mirror! Jesus, why am I so nervous?!"

"I should ask the same thing."

Eva whips around to see the Phantom standing before her. She gasps and looks at her watch. "You're early!" The Phantom nods and says, "My apologies, mademoiselle." Eva exhales. "It's fine." The Phantom takes a few steps closer and he says, "Where would like to talk? In here or in my lair?" She shrugs and thinks for a moment. "Let's go to your lair. I want to see where you live!" The Phantom nods and motions toward the mirror. "After you, mademoiselle." Eva walks up to the mirror and slips through. She now sees a longs staircase leading down. The Phantom then comes through and closes the mirror. She looks at him and says, "I don't know where I am going. You should lead the way." He nods and walks past her. He then starts to walk down the stairs, his cape flowing behind.

Eva is slightly scared, but she feels like she can trust him. She doesn't think he is as bad as everyone else says. Well, at least she is going to find out. And then before Eva knew it, they were in his lair. It looked very cozy for living under an opera house. The Phantom leads her to a small table where they sit across from each other. Either know what to say. So then Eva starts out by saying, "Hi! I'm Eva Anne Wilkinson." Then putting out her hand for him to shake. The Phantom takes it and says, "Phantom." Eva's shoulders drops.

"Oh, come on! That is not you real name!"

He sighs. "Fine. I'm Erik Destler."

Eva smiles. "Thank you. And I think Erik is better than Phantom." Erik makes a very small smile. "So, how long have you been living down here?" She asks looking around his lair.

"Over half of my life."

"Wow. That must be hard. What happened?"

"I would rather not talk about it. At least, not yet."

"Sorry. So um…what's your favorite color?"

"I have never really thought about that. But I would have to say yellow."

She smiles. "Mine is yellow too!" Erik half smiles at her. They don't know what else to talk about so she looks around his lair for any ideas of what to say. The she notices his organ. Music! "Hey, can you sing for me?" Erik is surprised this random question. But then he just says, "Of course." Eva smiles again. He then gets up and walks over to his organ and she follows. He sits down at the bench and she hovers over him. The music that Erik currently has on his and is his music from _Don Juan. _So then he starts to play and sing.

"_Past the point of no return. _

_No backward glances. _

_Our games of make-believe are at an end._

_Past all thought of 'if' or 'when'._

_No use resisting. _

Eva felt like she was in a trance with his magical and seductive voice. He didn't want him to stop.

_Abandon thought and let the dream descend. _

_What raging fire shall flood the soul?_

_What rich desires unlocks its toll?_

_What sweet seduction lies before us? _

_Past the point of no return._

_The final threshold. _

_What warm unspoken secrets will we learn? _

_Beyond the point of no return. _

Erik then lifts his fingers off of the keys and the last note rings in the air. He looks over at Eva and sees that her eyes are closed. He giggles to himself. "Eva." He says and her eyes shoot open. "Sorry! It was just so…entrancing. You have the most beautiful voice." Erik smiles and nods. "Thank you, mademoiselle." She brings up her hand and says, "Please, call me Eva." "As you wish, Eva." He says with a nod. Erik then gets up off the bench and says, "Well, I should bring you back up stairs. You have a performance at seven, and you must get ready." Eva sighs and says, "Can we meet tomorrow? Same time?" Erik's eyes bulge in surprise. _She actually wants to meet me again. _He nods. He holds out his gloved hand for her to take. She grabs it. "Let's go."


	5. The Patron

_**Hello again! In this chapter we are introduced to the patron, Arthur. He may or may not start to like her. We will just have to see! Oh, and by the way, could someone please review and tell me what you think of the story so far? I don't have any reviews and I want to know someone's opinion! So please review, favorite, and follow! Thanks! **_

_**~Lauren **_

**Chapter 5**

**The Patron**

Erik closes the mirror and leaves Eva standing in the middle of her dressing room. As soon as he leaves Meg bursts through the door and yells, "What were you doing with him?! Did he hurt you?!" Eva turns around with a gasp. "Meg! Were you spying on me?" Meg presses her lips together tight and peers around the room. "Maybe…" Eva just rolls her eyes and laughs. She then walks over to her mirror and sits down, Meg following. "So what happened?!" As she is taking her hair down, Eva says, "Nothing much. We introduced ourselves, shared our favorite colors, found out how long he has been living down there, and-"she sighs with a smile. "He sang. His voice is pure beauty. I am meeting him tomorrow so we can learn a little more about each other." Meg starts to comb her friend's hair as Eva does her makeup for the performance. "So he didn't hurt you or anything?" Eva sighs. "He isn't a monster Meg. He is a man." Meg just furrows her brow in disbelief. "I hear he looks like a monster. Did you see him without his mask?" "No! I didn't Meg. Why does it matter? Why do you care? He was nice and he didn't hurt me! Okay?" Eva could tell she was too harsh when she sees the sadness in Meg's eyes. She is going to apologize, but Meg leaves and says, "Good luck tonight."

As Eva is continuing her makeup, she starts to hum a tune to tonight's show. She thinks she is alone when she starts to sing, but little did she know that Erik never left and was still behind the mirror.

Erik could not believe a single word Eva had said about him. She didn't think he was weird or violent or anything. She didn't fear him unlike Christine. But the best thing he said was that he wasn't a monster. That made him feel wonderful. He really needed to keep an eye on this girl. She was different than the other girls. She was going to give him a chance. Then he realizes that her performance was going to start soon. He runs down the stairs and through his lair into another passageway to make it to Box Five in time. He gets to the box just as the curtain is rising and he sees Eva standing there. As she starts to sing. _She has one of the most beautiful voices._

As soon as the opera is over, Eva runs to her dressing room, just wanting to take off her clunky dress and sleep. It has been a very tiring first couple of weeks and she just needs some rest. She opens her dressing room and slams it before she slumps into the chair in front of the mirror. Before she can take her makeup off, she sees a white envelope, a red rose with a black ribbon lying next to it. She smiles, knowing it is from Erik. She opens it up and reads it.

_Dear Eva, _

_What a wonderful performance tonight. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow._

_-O.G._

She sets down the letter, and then rubs off her makeup, take down and comb her hair, and take off her dress and slip into a pink nightgown. Since her hair is a mess, she decides to braid it. As she is finishing up her hair, she says, "Wait, I don't have something to tie up my hair!" She searches around the room, still holding the end of her. She then sees the rose that Erik had sent her. "That's it!" She grabs the rose and struggles to untie the ribbon from the rose. But when she does, she then ties it to the end of her hair and makes it a nice bow. "There!" Then she walks over to her bed and lays down. The she pulls the covers over her face and then slowly falls asleep.

The next day, Eva has gone through a long day of rehearsing, and she realizes that she will be late for her meeting with Erik. The rehearsal has gone way too long! Eva checks her watch and sees that the time is currently 6:05. She has ten minutes until her meeting with Erik. But she keeps singing as Madame Giry is yelling at the chorus. _Gosh, just pull your act together! I need to get out of here! _She thinks in frustration. Then Madame Giry yell, in the middle of the song, "STOP! Stop! Everyone just stop! Chorus stay, everyone else go. Thank you, Eva that was great." She nods at her and then runs to her dressing room. As she is running, she tries to look at her watch, but everything is jostled around her. But she keeps looking, trying to decipher the time. Then all of a sudden, she feels herself run into someone and she is on the floor. She looks up and sees a man. He puts out his hand and says, "Excuse me, mademoiselle. I was just going to talk to Andre." Eva curtsies and says, "I apologize. I should not have been running. My greatest apology, monsieur."

"You are the Prima Donna, no?" Eva nods. "You did a magnificent last night." He takes her hand and kisses it. She blushes a very bright red. "Thank you. And what is your occupation here, monsieur?" The man shakes his head and says, "Not 'monsieur'. It's Arthur and I am the patron." Eva then says, "Well, it was very nice to meet you, but I must get going." She tries to walk away, but Arthur puts his hand out and stops her. "Will I see you again?" Eva's eyes bulge slightly, not expecting the question. "Yes. You should." Arthur smiles and takes her hand and says, "Till our next time...?" "Eva." She says, finishing his sentence. "Eva. What a lovely name." He kisses her hand once more and then walk away. She looks at her watch and realizes it says 6:17. Eva gasps and starts to go to her dressing room in a sprint.

When she throws her door open, she sees Erik standing there. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to come." Eva shakes her head as she walks closer to him. He extends his hand and says, "Let's go." She takes his hand and he leads her down to his lair. When they get down there, the sit in the same places they did last night. "Why were you late?" Erik asks. Eva says to him with a wave of her hand, "Oh. It was just the patron, Arthur." Erik starts to think of Raoul and how much he hated that man. He was hoping this, Arthur was better than him. "What were you doing with him?" She said to him, "Oh, I ran into him in the hallway, literally. And then he just told me how great my performance was last night. He kissed my hand a few time too. He seems really nice." Erik just nods slowly. "Oh ok. It was just the patron."


	6. Storytelling

_**Hey! I don't know what to say, but here is another chapter late at night! This one is kind of short, sorry. It will be longer tomorrow! Well, enjoy! Please review, favorite, and follow! Thanks. **_

_**~Lauren**_

**Chapter 6**

**Storytelling**

"Yes. It was just the patron." Erik nods, but he had a gut feeling that he could not trust this man. Something about him wasn't right. He didn't know what it was, but he was going to find out. He looks back up at Eva and sees she is looking all around at his lair. He can tell she is curious. "You can look around if you would like." Her head snaps over to him and she smiles. "Thank you." She then gets up and starts to walk around. The Erik gets up and decides to follow her.

She starts in the kitchen. She looks around at all the pots and pan. Not very interesting. Then she walks out and pass the room with the swan bed, and then pass his own bedroom. Then she gets to the room where he keeps-no, kept all of his mannequins and dioramas of Christine and the Opera Populaire. She walks in and is fascinated by all the burnt pieces and mannequins. She looks over at the corner and he hears her gasp, very quietly. He realizes that he has a mannequin of Christine stuffed in the corner and obviously was trying to be covered up with papers. Erik, not knowing what to do, just starts by saying, "Um, Eva," She cuts him off by saying. "Tell me about her."

His eyes bulge, not expecting this. "Who?" he asks her, even though he already knows who.

"Christine."

"How do you know that is Christine?"

"It has to be! I have heard all the stories. I know that is Christine!" she yells, chasing him as he walks out of the room.

"You don't know anything about me or Christine!" he explodes at her. Eva stumbles back at his outburst. He turns away from her and sits at the organ bench. "I'm sorry…" she mumbles. He just sighs. She walks over to him, but not too close. "I'm sorry I pushed you. I know we barely know each other, but I feel like I should learn more about you. Like, your past life. And I think I should know about Christine." He puts his hand up to stop her. "Stop _saying her _name." Eva backs away from her, not knowing what to do. "I think…I should go." Erik whips around on the bench.

"Wait! I want you to stay."

She is shocked at his reaction. She could have sworn he was mad at her. She smiles. Erik then gets up off the seat and walks up to her.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper. Here, I will make us some tea." He then leaves and walks into the kitchen.

Eva is really starting to think Erik is pretty cool. _He can sing, write, construct, paint, and cook!_ _He is the whole package! He is handsome too. Well of what she can see. And his eyes, and the most gorgeous color of green. He is just perfect…WAIT! What am I thinking?! You barely know this guy, Eva! Snap out of it! But maybe you do like him! NO, you don't! _She hears the tea kettle whistle as she is fighting with her thoughts, and she knows he is coming in soon. _Don't act to weird, Eva. Be natural. _As Erik is walking back in, she puts herself in an awkward position and a fake smile. As soon as Erik sees this, he instantly stumbles and furrows his brow. He walks slowly over to the table and sets the tea down. As she is still in her awkward position, he says to her, "Okay, what's up with you?" Eva relaxes and sits normal. "Sorry! We kind of had a fight back there and I was trying to act 'natural'! I didn't know what to do!" Erik just stifles a laugh. Then Eva and Erik both pick up their tea and take a sip.

Erik then looks at Eva and say, "Well I need to know about you too. I think you should tell me about you before I say anything about myself." Eva gulps.

"What would you like to know?"

"About your past life."

Eva inhales quick and her eyes bulge. "Um…I don't know, Erik."

"You can tell me anything. I have no one to tell but you and Madame Giry. She won't care, so it's just you."

Eva inhales and sighs it out. "Okay." She doesn't know what to do. She has to tell him. But, she will cry. _I need to. You can do this. _She tells herself. But she really doesn't know if she can do this. She has told many hard stories before, but she know this one was going to be the hardest.


	7. Scars and Wigs

_**Heyyy! Here comes another chapter! This one has a lot of more emotion. I hope you liked the last one! And also a big thanks to Phantom's Lil Miss for posting the first review! That was super nice and it meant a lot! Hey, why don't you all join her and write some reviews! Thanks! So, yeah! Favorite, follow, review, and of course, enjoy! **_

_**~Lauren **_

**Chapter 7**

**Scars and Wigs**

Eva inhales deeply, and then exhales softly. "It all started when I was about one year old, and most of my hair was coming in. My parents were both natural brunettes, so of course they were assuming I was going to come out with brown hair. But, then as my hair started to grow, they saw that it was darker than usual. They just thought it was really dark brown, so they didn't panic. But then as I _really _got hair, they realized it was black. I know what you're thinking. 'What's so bad about black hair?' Well, as I got older, my hair started to grow out and it was obvious that it was black. They didn't care when I was younger because I didn't go out of the house. But when I was six, the day before I started school. My mother took me, and chopped off all of my hair. They took all my hair, and a lot of skin with it." Eva moves her fingers around her scalp to show Erik some scars. Then she shifts in her chair and shows him the back of her head as she lifts her hair. They are so many cuts and scars, that almost the whole back of heck is red and black. Erik gasps. Eva then turns around and faces Erik again. "They didn't care how much I cried and screamed. They cared more about what the public."

Eva starts to sob very loudly. She inhales and continues her story. "I remember what the floor was like. You want to know what is what like? It was covered in blood! My blood! I lost so much blood that day. When my mom actually _cared _enough to call a doctor, he told me it was very unlikely I would make it through the night. My mom didn't even care." She cries for a few moments and Erik had no idea what to do. He has never comforted anyone before. But she didn't look like she wanted pity. She just needed a moment to cry.

"For the first couple years of school, I had no hair. If any hair started to grow, my mother would just chop it off again. Then she realized my head was too ugly, so she gave me a hat to cover to up." She sighs. "As I got older, I would always take off my hat when I got home. Of course, my mother hated it, so she always told me to have it covered when I was around her. She hated my appearance, and I learned to too. Then one day, I was 15, I took off my hat. I realized my hair hadn't been growing back, not a bit, for the past year. I was starting to get very worried. I didn't even know it was possible for hair to stop growing. But, then three months later, there was nothing. My hair had stopped growing. I was devastated. Then life went back to normal for a while, but then when I was 17, my parents died in a carriage accident and I was forced to live on the streets. I don't miss them. I know I should, but I don't." She shrugs her shoulders.

"I had always loved to sing and dance. But, of course my parents didn't approve. So I sang all the time at school and when I was alone in my room. Then, a couple days ago actually, I saw that they needed a Prima Donna. So I thought I should audition. And…here I am." She shrugs again as a million tears are rolling down her face.

Erik realizes that he is tearing up too. "Eva…I-I am so sorry." She looks at up him and just shakes her head. "But, Eva, what I don't understand is why your parents don't like black hair. Eva sniffs and says, "My parents thought it was a sign or evil, or the devil, or something like that!" Erik sighs. "They're idiots." Then he realizes something else. "If your hair stopped growing, then what is…" he motions to her hair. She sighs and stares at the floor. She slowly brings her fingers up to the tip of her hairline. Then she pulls over her hair to reveal her head. Her head is covered in red, black, and blue lines all over. Her skull doesn't even match the color of her skin anymore. Her skull is just different shades of black and blue. "Oh, my, god, Eva. I can't, can't believe this. I just don't know what to say. She stifles a laugh through her tears and she yells, "I know! It isn't even that big of a deal! I am making it seem really bad, and its nothing!" Erik shakes his head. "No, Eva! It's terrible! Your parents are idiots! Absolute idiots, and they have no right to chop off your hair! Look what they did to you! He yells motioning to her scarred head. "And another thing-""Erik!" He stops and relaxes his face, she motions for him to calm down. "Thank you, Erik. That means a lot for you to say that. Now it's your turn." She looks at him with red eyes. She sets her wig down on the table, showing she is comfortable with him.

"Well believe it or not, our lives were very similar. Since, my face is deformed, my mother always made me wear a mask whenever I was around her or in public. She hated me and my appearance. I always took off my mask when I was at home, but my mom made me wear it all the time, besides when I was sleeping. Then, when I was about six, there were gypsies in town. My mother sold me to them, without a single thought. And then they used me. They whipped me and cut me and burned me in front of everyone just because of my face. Everyone laughed. No one cared. But then there was one little girl. She rescued me after I killed my caretaker and took me to the Opera Populaire. Here I taught myself how to write, read, and compose music. And also to sing. Now here I am!"

Eva is crying again. Not because of her story, but of his. Even though he told it like it was nothing, he could see the hurt in his eyes. "Erik…I am so sorry. Your life is far worse than." He shakes his head. "No, they are equally as bad. Both of our parents were bastards." Eva giggles at this remark and he smiles too. "Well," she says. "Come one. I need to see your face. I showed you my head." Erik nods, knowing it's the right thing to do. He puts his hand on the side of his mask slipping it off. He looks at Eva waiting for her to say it's repulsive or gross. But she gets up out of her seat and walks up to him, putting her hand on the mangled side of his face. She touches all the bumps, cuts, and ruffles. He is shocked. He just stares at her as she touches. "You beautiful, Erik." She says in a whisper.

He cannot believe what she had just said. Someone called him _beautiful. _He puts his hand over hers as she is touching his face. Then he pulls her hand out and just hold it at his side. He stands up and stares at her gorgeous brown eyes. He then chuckles. "What?" she asks, concerned. He keeps smiling. "Nothing. You can describe our lives in two words." "What are those two words?" he laughs once more.

"Scars and wigs."

Eva giggles too. She squeezes his hand.

"That's right. Scars and wigs."


	8. Drunken Love

_**Oh my gosh, we are on Chapter 8! I am so happy people are liking it and I am getting a ton of views! But, I would like some more feedback on positive and negative things in the story. Or, possibly future ideas to add to the story! Anything you want to say, please say it! Thanks and I'll see you tomorrow! **_

_**~Lauren**_

**Chapter 8**

**Drunken Love **

Erik takes Eva back upstairs to her dressing room in just enough time for her to get ready for the performance tonight. "Good luck tonight. I am positive you will be amazing." He says kissing her hand. "Thank you, Erik. Now I must go and get ready. I will see you tomorrow?" Erik nods before closing the mirror and leaving Eva alone. But, of course, a few seconds later Meg comes bursting through the door. "What happened tonight? Anything special?" Eva sighs and turns towards the door and just laughs. She then turns back around and sits at her mirror, applying her makeup. Meg rushes over with a look of urgency. She is waiting for Eva to reply. Eva sighs again, seeing the look on her face, she knows she must tell her. "Well, Meg, nothing _that _special happened. We told about our childhood." Meg looks very unsatisfied. "That was it?" "Yes, Meg. That was it." Meg sighs. "Okay." She then grabs the comb and start to brush Eva's hair.

Eva starts humming that song that Erik had sung her at their first meeting. _'Past the point of no return. No backward glances…' _As she is humming, Meg hears and her eyes bulge and her face goes white. She slowly takes her hands away, and needs a moment to suppress the memory of that wicked night. "That song…" Meg whispers. Eva stops doing her makeup and looks at Meg in the mirror. "Meg, what's wrong with that song? I think it's lovely." Then she continues doing her face. "There isn't anything wrong with the song, just the memories that lay with it." Eva now fully stops. She gets up out of the chair and walks closer to Meg. "What do you mean? What happened when that opera was performed?"

Meg shudders before speaking. "As the Phantom singing that song with Christine and confessing his love for her, she pulled off his mask to everyone in the theater. He was furious at her and everyone else. But, he still needed a way to take her down to his lair and force her to love him. So he cut the rope that was holding up the chandelier and it came crashing down, killing so many, and burning the Opera Populaire down. And, as you probably know, Christine left the Phantom for Raoul, her true lover. The Phantom ran away from the Opera Populaire forever. But, as soon as it was repaired, he came back. Now we are here."

Eva shakes her head, not wanting to believe that Erik did all these horrible things. She just turns around and sits at the mirror again, continuing her makeup and hair. "I know you don't believe me. You think he's different. But that vicious and violent man is still in the Phantom." Eva slams down on the desk and stands up. "ERIK IS NOT LIKE THAT! He is nice, sweet, caring, talented, beautiful, and all around amazing." Meg shakes her head. "_Erik _is evil." Eva starts to tear up. "Erik is an amazing person! We told each other our deepest secrets and stories! He is so amazing, and god dammit, Meg I love him!"

Eva's eyes bulge and so do Meg's. She had always thought she loved him, but never actually said it until now. Meg is completely shocked. She runs out of the dressing room without saying another thing. But then she smiles. She did love him, and she knew that now. But she doesn't know if he liked her more than a friend. _Sure, we have only know each other for two day, but it feels like forever. I already know so much about him, and he is just perfect. _Eva rushes over to her mirror and hurries to finish her makeup and hair. Then, just a few moments before the show is about to start she runs out on the stage and waits for the curtain to open.

Erik is sitting in his box and watches Eva sing with her amazing voice. _I would ask to give her lessons, but she obviously doesn't need it. _He notices something different about her. She has this look in her eye that is just pure joy. But, it isn't joy, it's more than that. She has that look that Christine had when she looked at Raoul. It was love. _Who does Eva love? _He just shrugs it off and watches the opera.

**Two Months later**

Eva and Erik put their bottles together with a _clink. _Then they take a long drink. "To you!" Erik says. "Happy two month anniversary at the Opera Populaire!" Eva nods and she drinks again. He just laughs. "So I hear you and Meg aren't talking anymore?" Eva nods. "Yeah. She hasn't talked to me since my second day here." "Sorry about that. She can be a bit stubborn." He says. But she just shrugs. "She was getting really mad at me." Erik tilts his head and says, "What for?" before taking another ling drink from his bottle. Eva takes a drink too.

"Well….she told me some things…."

"Like what?"

"Things about you…"

"What did she tell you?"

"She told me about the night of _Don Juan Triumphant. _And how you crashed the chandelier, and the whole house-"

"Eva, I swear, all those days are over. I am a changed man. I am not nearly as violent as I was years ago. Please Eva, you have to trust me!"

"I do trust you! I always knew you weren't like that anymore. She was getting mad at me for defending you!" Erik just shakes his head and drinks again. Eva ales and drink too, and they both finish their bottles. He notices and walks into the kitchen and grabs a few more bottle that will last them for a while.

Eva and Erik are very, very drunk. They drank way too much and there is no one else to control their actions. They keep laughing, screaming and running into things. Erik is a lot drunker than Eva. She keeps fading in and out. Then Eva runs into Erik, her hand landing on his chest. They are very, very close. They look at each other, suddenly very serious. All of a sudden, Erik leans down and kisses her. They keep kissing and kissing. Erik then pulls back and takes her hand, leading her to his bedroom. They kiss, landing on the bed. Erik then starts to work his way at the buttons of her shirt. Even though Eva is kind of sober, there is no way she is stopping this. Her first time.


	9. Masquerade

_**Hey! So I hope you guys like the chapter yesterday! So dramatic…what's going to happen!? Well, you'll just have to read to find out! This is my longest chapter, so I hope you enjoy! **__**I also have the link to all of their Masquerade outfits on my profile. I suggest looking at them because I am not very good at describing them.**__** Thanks. **_

_**~Lauren **_

**Chapter 9 **

**Masquerade**

Eva opens her eyes slowly and looks around. _Where am I? _She looks to her right and sees Erik lying next to her. She looks down and realizes she isn't wearing anything, and neither is Erik. She gasps. _Did we…? _She whips the covers off, grabs her dress that she was wearing yesterday off of the floor, puts it on, and runs back upstairs.

She slams the mirror closed and leans against it, panting like a dog. She looks at her watch and realizes it is only five o'clock. "What just happened?" she whispers. She slowly walks away from the mirror, scratching her head. She sighs and looks in the mirror. "Okay. I remember we were celebrating for being her for two months. And then we got really drunk. We kissed, and then…he took me to his bedroom. Now here I am, naked." She plants her face in her hands. "We really slept together." Eva has no idea why she is so upset about this, she loves him. _I really wanted it to mean something. My first time was just being drunk! That isn't special! Oh, my, gosh, Eva! What if he doesn't remember it and you have to tell him? He was really drunk, that wouldn't surprise me." _Eva grunts in frustration. "I am just hoping he remembers it."

Erik wakes up with a sudden realization. _Oh my god, I slept with her. _He throws off the covers and doesn't realize he is naked until after. He gasps in surprise. He runs over to his dresser and pulls out his undergarments. He slips them on and then goes over to his wardrobe and takes out some nice black pants and white shirt. He sits down the bed to pull on his pants and gets a sudden moment of dizziness. "Gosh, I was so drunk." He murmurs. He slips his pants on and rests his hands over his knees to stop the nausea he suddenly felt once more. "I hope Eva is alright." He says out loud to himself. He gets up off the bed and puts his shirt on and buttons it. He sighs, thinking about Eva. "Gosh, I am such an idiot! I never should drink alcohol! It never ends well!" He storms out of his bedroom and goes over to his organ to play some depressing music.

Eva dozed off at about 5:30. She then woke up when someone was shaking her awake. She shot her eyes open to see Meg. "Meg! What's going on?" Eva lifts herself up and Meg backs up from over her. "I was worried. I knocked and you wouldn't answer. Then I came in and it looked like you fainted." She puts her hand up to her head and says, "Sorry to worry you. I think I did faint." Meg furrows her brow. "Why? Are you sick?" Eva shakes her head and sighs. "I just fainted in shock." She exhales before continuing. "Last night, I was downstairs with Erik. We were celebrating my being here for two months with some beer. A lot of beer." Meg's eyes bulge, knowing where this is going. "And well…one drink led to another and I…_slept _with him."

Her jaw drops and she starts pacing around the room. "Eva, I told you to be careful around him!" Eva clenches her jaw and says, "Well _sorry _for drinking beer and having a good time!" Meg throws her hands up and grunts. "That's not what I meant! Eva, oh god, what if you get pregnant?!" Eva throws her arms at her. "Don't say that!" Thy both sighs and start to calm down. "I just have one question." Eva nods. "Did you like it?" She looks at the floor and smiles. "I did, Meg. I was quite sober, Meg. So, I knew what was going on and yes, I did like it." Meg slightly smiles. "Then that's all that matters to me, is that you're happy." Meg grabs her hands and she giggles. Eva giggles too.

"So, are you ready to go out?" Eva furrows her brow, not remembering much. "The Masquerade is tonight! We were going to go shopping tonight for our dresses!" Eva squeezes her hands and yelps. "Oh! That's right! Yes, I am so excited! Could you just wait outside the door for me to get changed?" Meg nods with a smile and scurries out of the dressing room.

Eva smiles. _Meg is my friend again! _She then skips over to her wardrobe and grass a simple, sky blue dress to go out in. Then she runs over to her mirror and sits down. She takes her wig off and sighs. Then starts to put it into a braid. After she is done, she slips it back on her head. She continuously adjust it so that it covers enough and will not fall off. She smiles at her reflection and runs to the door. She glances back at the mirror and expects to see Erik come through, but he never does. So she opens the door and smiles at Meg. "Ready!" They take each other's hand and walk out of the Opera Populaire.

When they get to the dress shop, Eva cannot help but be utterly overjoyed. She has suffered way too long and it is now paying off. Meg grabs her hand and runs into the shop, pulling her in with her. They run in the door and Eva is just astounded by all the beautiful dresses before her. Meg runs to the red dresses that being her favorite color, and Eva just wanders around. _What color do I want? _She passes a million colors. Purple, blue, orange, red, white, black, pastels and other dark colors. And then when she sees one color, she stops dead in her tracks. Yellow. _Erik. His favorite color is yellow and so is mine! And of course I am asking him to go! So, I should definitely get yellow. _She runs up to the yellow section of dresses and looks around. She doesn't see many that catch her eye, but then she sees a magnificent yellow, sleeveless dress with black flowers going down the sides of the breasts. _Oh, it's perfect! _She grabs it off the rack and runs to the dressing room to try it on.

When she slips it on, she is absolutely in love with it! And it fits perfectly! "I have to get it!" She takes it off, slipping her other dress back on and then walks up the clerk. She puts it on the counter for her to pay. "That will be six thousand francs." Eva ruffles through her purse and pulls out a bunch of coins. The clerk takes them and then slips the dress in a cover for protection. He hands her the dress and she takes it. "Thank you!" she says smiling. Then after Meg pays for her dress they both walk out of the store, just anticipating tonight!

_Dear Erik, _

_ As you probably know, there is a masquerade tonight. I have never been to one of these so this will be my first time to one! I am so excited, so I would be absolutely delighted if you were to come! It will be very fun, trust me! So, I am hoping to see you there._

_-Eva _

Erik throws the letter down on his desk and he sighs. "How could she be so calm after last night?" He is talking to himself. "I shouldn't go." He shakes his head. "But it would make her so happy…" He sighs once more and then scratches. He smirks to himself. "I need to get an outfit, but not the same outfit I wear all the time." He gasps. "Yellow! I need to go buy something." He jumps up out of his chair and grabs his cloak, ready to go buy a new tux.

Eva is just finishing curling her hair when she hears a knock at the door at the door. She jumps up and runs to the door. She opens it to see Meg in a stunning red, sleeveless gown with flower detail all over it. "Oh, Meg, you look absolutely stunning!" Meg guffaws. "I look nothing compared to you!" They both giggle before grabbing their hands and running to the party.

_Masquerade! _

_Paper faces on parade! _

_Masquerade!_

_Hide your face so the world will never find you! _

The room fills with singing and dancing! Eva just laughs in happiness. Mag runs off to a man that Eva has not met and she goes around searching for Erik.

"Erik?"

"Erik?"

"Erik?!"

Eva has finally given up on asking people if they are Erik, so she just walks over to the table of food. She grabs a cookie and munches on it. Once she is done, she turns and faces the table to get a beverage. Before she can grab a cup, someone taps her on the shoulder.

"Eva?"

She whips around to see a man with a yellow coat, black pants and a very unique black mask. "Erik?" she asks desperately. "That's my name!" he chuckles. "Oh, you did come!" she yells with a huge smile. Erik laughs. "I didn't want to disappoint you." "Thank you." She says and hugs him. He gasps silently, surprised by her embrace. But he soon relaxes and puts her hands around her. He laughs once again and says, "Shall we dance?" She releases their hug and grabs his hand immediately and drags him to the floor to dance.

_Masquerade!_

_Every face a different shade!_

_Masquerade!_

_Look around there's another face behind you! _

Eva is very happy as she and Erik sing, it is too much to handle. She hears his enchanting voice and feels as if she were hypnotized. _He has the most beautiful voice. _Her voice eventually fades away and she just listens to him. She was having the time of her life.

Erik is walking her back to her dressing room, he compliments her and says, "You look beautiful, by the way. You look very stunning in yellow." Eva looks over at him and says, "Thank you. I saw yellow and thought out you." Erik blushes a mighty shade of red and says, "I did the same thing for you. Yellow is your favorite color, and I thought it would make you happy." She smiles and nods. "It did. Thank you." They reach her dressing room and they face each other. "I had a wonderful time, Erik." He nods and says, "As did I. I hope to see you tomorrow." He takes her hand and kisses. She blushes. "Goodnight, Erik."

"Goodnight, Erik."


	10. No Return

_**Hi guys! So there was no chapter yesterday because the Doc Manager wasn't working, so I couldn't upload this chapter. But here it is today! And on another upside, you get two chapters today! Please leave reviews or comments! I really want them! Thanks! Enjoy! **_

_**~Lauren **_

**Chapter 10 **

**No Return**

**Two and a half weeks later**

_Bleeuuuggh! _Meg holds Eva's hair back as she pukes into the toilet. She brings her head up and coughs. "Oh, Eva! This is the fifth time you have thrown up today! What is going on?" Eva shakes her head. Meg smirks and thinks for a moment. Then she bulges her eyes.

"Wait…Didn't you sleep with Erik a little less than a month ago?"

"Yeah."

"Eva…what if you're," she gulps. "Pregnant?" Now Eva's eyes bulge and then she bursts into tears. "Oh, Meg! You're right! Now that I think about it, I have had all the symptoms of pregnancy. I have nausea, heart burn, I am very tired, and I'm _late._" Meg throws her arms around Eva and cradles her as she cries into her shoulder. "It's going to be okay. But you need to tell Erik." Eva jumps out of the hug. "Meg! Oh my god! How am I going to tell Erik? What if he doesn't even remember it? We were drunk! Meg, what if he doesn't love me back?" Meg shakes her head and grabs her shoulders. "No, no, no! He has to love you! You slept with him and he took you to the Masquerade! He seems to have been nothing but romantic to you!" Eva shrugs and sniffs, wiping away a tear. "I'll tell him later today. I am seeing him today." Meg nods.

"I should go back to my room and rest." Eva gets up and Meg follows. "Are you going to be alright?" Eva nods and walks out of the bathroom down the hall. Meg just stands there and doesn't follow. When Eva gets to her room, she opens her door and gasps. "Erik! I didn't think you would be here so early!" He walks up to her at the door. "I am sorry. I was just lonely and thought we could get together." She half smiles and nods. Erik furrows his brow. He lifts her chin to look at her. "Have you been crying?" She just shrugs. "I'm fine." She walks past him and goes to her mirror. But he just follows. "No, you aren't. What's wrong? You can tell me anything."

"I said I am fine!"

Erik stumbles back at her fury. Eva obviously sees this and walks up to him. "Sorry, Erik. I am just a little stressed. Could we go down to your lair and sing? I think your voice will calm me down." He smiles at her and nods, taking her hand. They walk up to the mirror and he slips it open and they walk through. Eva and Erik go through a series of passageways and they are finally in his lair. He doesn't let go of her hand until they get to the organ. "What song would you like? Anything in particular?" She nods and says, "Play that song from _Don Juan._ I will sing her part." He nods and pulls out the sheet music. He starts to play and sing the first verse. Then, Eva starts to sing.

_You have brought me,_

_To the moment where words run dry. _

_To that moment where daylight disappears into silence. _

_Silence. _

_I have come here hardly knowing the reason why. _

_In my mind I've already imagined our bodies entwining,_

_Defenseless and silent._

_Now I am here with you. _

_No second thought. _

_I've decided._

_Decided. _

Erik loves Eva's voice. But she sounds so much like Christine that it is bringing back so many bad memories of the night of _Don Juan. _But he isn't going to stop play. _Eva sounds so sexy. _He thinks. Then he goes back to listening to Eva.

_Past the point of no return. _

_No going back now. _

_Our passion-play has now at last begun. _

_Past all thought of right or wrong. _

_One final question. _

_How long should we to wait before we're one? _

_When will the blood begin to race?_

_The sleeping bud burst into bloom? _

_When will the flames at last consume us? _

Eva grabs Erik hands off the organ and puts them into a position for them to dance. "Keep going." She whispers. He nods. And then leads their dance around the room as they sing.

_Past the point of no return. _

_The final threshold. _

_The bridge is crossed so stand, _

_And watch it burn. _

_We've past the point of no return. _

Their song dies and they stand, still in position, staring at each other. Eva smiles and Erik returns it. She then moves her arms and puts them around his waist, hugging him. He returns the hug, squeezing her tight. "Thank you." She whispers into his chest. "You're welcome." He whispers back. She then pulls out of the hug and looks up at him again. She puts her hand on her cheeks, pulls him down and kisses him. She releases and Erik backs away with a confused look on his face. "Eva…" he whispers. Her smile fades. "What?" He shakes his head. She feels herself starting to tear up. "You don't love me…do you?" He tries to come closer to her, but she just backs away.

A tears falls down her cheek. "We made love, Erik! That meant nothing to you?!" Erik sighs. "We were drunk, Eva." She starts to cry, fully. "I'm sorry, Eva. Let me-""NO! Don't come near me!" She puts her hand up to stop him. "Just because I don't love you, doesn't mean I don't care. We are great friends. Please believe me." She stops crying and inhales sharply. "I am just going to leave. I'm never returning." She storms past him and goes toward the passageway. Then she stops in her tracks and turns to face him again. "By the way," He turns and faces her now, with a look of pity.

"I'm pregnant! With your baby!"


	11. True Love

_**Here is the second chapter of the day! I hope you liked the last chapter. It's getting very dramatic, I think! Well, anyway, I'm just gonna say the same stuff I always say. Read, review, follow, and favorite! Thanks!**_

_**~Lauren **_

**Chapter 11**

**True Love**

"Pregnant?!" Erik yells as Eva runs away from him. "Eva, wait! We need to talk about this! I want to help!" But Eva was already gone, and she didn't even hear him. He sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. "Pregnant…" He walks over to his desk and immediately starts to write a letter to Eva.

_Dear Eva, _

_I am so sorry. I really want to help you with the baby. I care about you, Eva. You need to understand that. I truly care about you and the baby. Please. Let's be friends again. I promise I will do all that I have to, to help with the baby. After all, it is my child too. I don't want it to be taken away from me. Please, Eva. Just understand. _

_Erik_

He folds up the letter and slips it into the envelope. "I can't deliver it now. It's too soon. A couple of hours." Erik instead slides the letter into a drawer. He moves his fingers up to his temples and moves them around in circular motions. He puffs his cheeks, exhaling. "I need to just relax." Erik gets up and walks into the kitchen. He grabs the tea kettle and fills it with water. Then puts it on the hot stove and waits for it to whistle.

"Pregnant…" he whispers repeatedly as he walks out of the kitchen.

**The Next Day**

Eva moves her eyes as she reads Erik's letter. She sighs loudly when she finishes. She throws the letter down on her desk and then gets up to pace around the room. _I have no idea what to do. He doesn't love me but he is offering to help. Should I go back to him? Should I just raise the baby on my own? No. That would just be unfair to Erik. _She sighs once more and stops pacing. She looks at herself in the mirror and nods.

Eva pries open the mirror and runs down the stairs through a series of passageways before getting to Erik's lair. She stands in the middle of the room, not seeing him. She turns around and looks at his organ and all the music around it.

"Eva!"

She whips around to see Erik stand there with a tray of tea. "What are you doing here?" She shrugs. "I'm sorry. I overreacted. You don't love me and I need to accept that. But, I really want your help with the baby. I can't do this alone. I don't even know how to take care of a child!" Erik nods and walks over to her. He sees a tears running down her cheek and her wipes it away with his thumb. She looks up at him and sniffs. Erik then wraps his arms around her in a warm embrace. He releases and they smile at each other. "Would you like some tea?" he says motioning to the table with the tea set. Eva nods.

They both walk over to the table and sit down. He pours her a cup of tea before he pours himself one. He slides it toward her and she grabs it. He takes his cup and sits down. Eva smiles and says, "We should think of names." Erik stifles a laugh and says, "Okay. Do you have any ideas?" She nods. He makes a look that signals for her to tell him. "Well, for a boy, I was thinking Angel. I thought of that one because you were known as the Angel of Music and this child is our angel." He nods. "I like that. Now, what if it's a girl?" She smiles once more. "I thought of the name Rose. Since you always gave me roses." He smiles. "These all revolve around me. Don't you have a name that can be related to you?" She shrugs with a frown. "Are those names okay?" He smiles wide and nods. "I love them." Eva slightly smiles before putting her head down and quietly sipping her tea.

"What's the matter, Eva?"

"I just wish you could love me."

"God dammit! I do love you! I love you so much!" Her head shoots up and her eyes are bulged. "What?" Erik smiles. "You heard me." She shakes her head. "You don't have to lie to me." He shakes his head, runs up to her and puts his hands on her cheeks. "No, no. I finally realize. You are nice, sweet, caring, beautiful, and I love you." She starts crying. "Erik, are you serious?" He stares at her a few seconds a before slamming his lips against hers. He release and looks at her with a smile. "Does that answer your question?" She laughs before pressing her lips against his once more. His cheeks are getting wet from the tears on her cheeks, but he doesn't care.

They release and Eva just stares into his eyes. Erik takes his hands off of her cheeks. Eva then puts her hand on the side of his mask and she slips it off. Erik flinches, wanting to stop her, but he lets her. She moves her hand around his face, feeling all the ruffles and folds of his skin. She then presses her lips all over the side of his face. "I love you, Erik. You don't need to hide." He smiles at her. "Then you don't need to hide either." He slips off her wig and kisses the top of her head. Eva slightly chuckles. "What?" Erik says with a smirk. "I just don't understand how you can all of a sudden love me like this." He sighs. "Do you want to know the real reason?" She nods.

"Well, I had this dream. But, they were very shirt little clips. I saw you singing. I saw us kissing. I saw that night. I saw our wedding. I saw our child. And I came to a sudden realization. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." At this point he backs away and gets down on one knee. Eva throws her hands to her mouth. "Eva Anne Wilkinson, will you do the amazing honor of making me the happiest man alive, and marry me?" She is crying a lot at this point. She moves her hands away from her mouth and nods. "Oh, Erik! I love you so much!" He gets up off of the ground and walks up to her. She puts her hand out and he slips the ring on her finger. She looks down and sees a beautiful yellow diamond. "Oh, Erik! It's yellow! I have never loved yellow more in my life!" She grabs his cheeks and kisses him. _This is the best day of my entire life. This is love. I finally know what true love is. _

When they release Eva says to him, "You're my first relationship and I couldn't ask for anyone better." They both chuckle. Then they spend the rest of the day talking and drinking tea together down in Erik's lair.


	12. The Cousin

_**Happy Easter everyone! I hope you had a good day and I also hope you liked the last chapter! Yay engagement! And of course I had to make the ring yellow. Yellow is just going to be a reoccurring theme throughout this whole thing! So, this chapter is a little fun, emotional, and dramatic. I hope you like it. Anyway, read, review, follow, and favorite. Thanks. **_

_**~Lauren**_

**Chapter 12 **

**The Cousin**

"Thank you, Erik." Eva says to Erik. He takes her hand and kisses it softly. "I will see you tomorrow. Good night, Eva." He slips back through the mirror, leaving Eva alone. She smiles to herself and looks down at her ring. She starts to tear up out of happiness. _I can't believe this is happening. _Then she hears a knock at the door and Meg creeps into the room. Eva turns around and smiles at Meg. "Hello, Meg! How are you today?" Meg smirks. "You are very happy today." She comes closer to Eva. "What happened…?" Her eyes peer down and she grabs Eva's hand. She gasps loudly and hold her hand up. "Eva! You're engaged! Who is it?" Eva and Meg both have big smiles on their faces. "It's Erik. He proposed to me just a few hours ago."

"That's so wonderful, Eva. We need to go celebrate! Right now! We are going to dinner! I am paying!" She starts to pull Eva out the door, but Eva is dragging her feet behind. "Oh, Meg, you don't…" "No! I insist!" Eva giggles and gives in. Meg keeps dragging Eva throughout the halls and all over the opera house.

As she walks down one hall, she sees the patron, Arthur. But he doesn't smile or anything, he just glares. He follows her every move, glaring. Eva furrows her brow as he watches. _What did I ever do to him? _Then when they get to the point where they can't look at each other anymore, she just shrugs and focuses on the fun time she is going to have with Meg.

When they get to the little café, they are given a nice table next to a window. The waiter gives them menus and the girls thank him. He walks away and Meg instantly looks at Eva with a huge smile. Eva chuckles. "When are you guys getting married?" Eva smirks. "Meg, he just proposed a few hours ago. We didn't talk about that much! The only major stuff we talked about was baby names. Then we just talked about silly little things throughout the afternoon." Meg squeals. "What are the baby's names?" Eva smiles. "If it's a boy, Angel. If it's a girl, Rose." "Those are beautiful, Eva. Your baby is going to be beautiful." Eva's smiles fades.

"That's what I'm worried about."

"What do you mean?" Eva sighs and stares at the floor. "Well, Erik has his deformity, and I have…" Her voice trails off, realizing she didn't tell Meg about her hair. Meg grabs her hand. "You can tell me anything, Eva. What do you have?" She sighs once more, knowing that her friend must know. Then she tells Meg her tragic story about her black hair, her scars, and all her wigs. "And I am just worried our child with have his deformity or my inability to grow hair. I don't even know if Erik knows that it's possible. I just want beautiful children." Meg has a few tears falling down her cheeks. "I don't know, Eva. But all we can do is hope for the best." Eva looks up at her and half smiles.

Then they have a wonderful little lunch, which Meg paid for. Then when they return to the Opera Populaire, Eva is scared to see the patron standing in her dressing, facing the mirror. "What do you want?" she yells slamming the door. "You aren't safe." He faces her. He has an evil glare on her face. Eva creeps a little closer to him, but not too close. "Arthur, what do you want? You have been glaring at me a lot lately and it's scaring me." Arthur sighs and looks at the floor. "I am here to tell you that you need to stay away from him." Eva furrows her brow. "Stay away from who?" He looks up and rolls his eyes as if she were stupid. "The Phantom!" She clenches her jaw. "His name is Erik! You don't even know anything about him!" He stifles a laugh. "Oh, but I do." Eva shakes her head, angrily.

"You don't know a thing about Erik or his actions!"

"My cousin and I are very close. She knows a lot about 'Erik' and I think she is a very reliable source."

"And who is your cousin?"

"Christine Daae."


	13. Haunting

_**Ooh…the story is getting dramatic! Christine Daae is the patron's cousin! What is Eva going to think? Well, you'll just have to read and find out. So yeah, read, follow, favorite and review! Thanks. **_

_**~Lauren**_

**Chapter 13**

**Haunting**

"Chr-Christine Daae?" Eva asks in disbelief.

Arthur smirks. "That's right. And I am telling you, Eva. He is an evil man that doesn't love you."

Eva starts to tear up and shakes her head vigorously. "He does love me! We are engaged! He does love me! You are wrong!" Arthur chuckles. "How dare you! How dare you come in here and tell me that my fiancée doesn't love me when you know nothing about him! You bastard!"

"Eva, I am just trying to protect you!" He tries to come close to her but he pushes him back hard. He stumbles backward almost falling over.

"YOU BASTARD! I WANT YOU OUT OF MY ROOM! NEVER COME BACK! NEVER TALK ABOUT ME, ERIK, OR CHRISTINE! JUST GET OUT!"

Arthur is surprised at this outburst so he just runs out, slamming the door. Eva is now alone and she starts crying very hard. _I need Erik. _She jumps up out of her seat, open the mirror and runs down the passageways into Erik's lair. She runs down into the middle of the room, stomping. Erik whirls around on his bench in front of his organ and is shocked to see Eva standing there. He doesn't ask any questions before he runs up and hugs her. She cries loudly and Erik rocks her back and forth. He eventually starts to walk and leads her to a more comfortable place. They sit down on his bed in his bedroom, and he starts to ask question as soon as Eva picks her head up.

"What's the matter, love?"

"The patron came into my room and was tell me you were evil and dangerous. He said I needed to stay away from you. But I refused and...And…oh, Erik…"

"What? Please tell me so I have a good enough reason to kill him."

"He said his cousin is a reliable source and knows a lot about you. And she is, Erik. She is the most reliable source there could ever be."

Erik furrows his brow. "Who is his cousin?"

Eva sighs through her tears. "…Christine Daae."

Erik's eyes bulge and he stands up. Eva watches him as he paces around the room becoming sadder and sadder. _He still loves her. Maybe Arthur was right about that part. _"Erik, are you okay?" He keeps pacing, seeming like he didn't even hear her. "Erik? Please calm down." He eventually does stop and just stares at the floor. Eva can't tell if he is mad or sad. Maybe both. Erik then whispers to himself, "I never wanted to hear that name again and now, it's coming back to haunt me." He looks back over at Eva, snapping out of it. "I-I…am sorry, Eva." But she shakes her head. "No. It's fine. I'll just come back late at our regular time." She turns to go out the door, but Erik runs up and grabs her wrists. "Eva, I am really sorry. You don't have to go." Eva giggles softly. "No. It seems like you need rest. I want you to sleep for a couple hours and try to forget." She smiles at him and he smiles back. He then leans in and kisses her lightly on the lips. "Thank you." He says when they release. She nods and then exits the room.

He sighs and runs his finger through his hair. He then walks over to the mirror and just stares at him face. "The porcelain is supposed to make me handsome. But, I hate my face just as much." He feels a tear roll down his cheek. He wipes it away viciously with a grunt of anger. He turns back to the mirror and keeps gazing at his face. Erik slowly brings his hand up to the porcelain and pulls it off, dropping it on the floor. "There's Erik." He whispers. Then he starts to undress down to nothing. He walks over to his bed and lays down, slipping the warm covers over his naked body. He sighs before drifting off to sleep.

_And I loved you! _

_Yes, I loved you! _

_I'd have followed anywhere you led. _

_I woke to swear my love, _

_And found you gone instead! _

_Christine glares at him with teary eyes as she sang. Erik feels ashamed but overjoyed at hearing her voice for the first time in the past 10 years. But it had to be like this. Telling this erotic tale was just making matters worse for their meeting. Erik creeps a little closer to her. He sings back to her, hoping she will understand. _

_And I loved you! _

_And I left you! _

_And I had to, both of us knew why! _

_And yet, I won't regret, _

_From now until I die. _

_The night I can't forget. _

_Beneath a moonless sky. _

Erik wakes up in a cold sweat. "She won't get out of my head!" he screams, not caring if anyone hears him. "Stop haunting me!" he starts to cry. "Oh, Christine. My, Christine. Why did I ever leave you?" He looks around the room and sighs. "Christine…I still love you." He shakes his head, suppressing the thought. "No, you are engaged to Eva. You love her." But he really didn't know. _I love Eva. But, I also love Christine. God dammit. I need to get Christine out of my head. She is constantly haunting my dreams. _


	14. Unknown Love

'_**Ello, 'ello, 'ello, 'ello! How is everyone! I hope you guys really like the story. I am putting a lot of time, thought, and work into this. So I really hope it pays off. Please leave reviews! Thanks. **_

_**~Lauren**_

_**Oh! PS, if anyone can guess the song that Erik is writing, you will get a surprise! So, please PM me or leave a review guessing the sing! Thanks. **_

**Chapter 14**

**Unknown Love**

Erik sits at his organ writing down lyrics as he thinks. He keeps mumbling, over and over, as he writes. Tears are streaming down his face as he pours out his heart. He then sighs as he finishes the devastating song. He looks at his watch as his eyes bulge seeing the time. "I have to go get Eva!" The time was 6:15, their regular time to meet, and he didn't want to be late. He hated being late. He runs up through the passageways to Eva's mirror. He can't stop himself from running, so he pushes open the mirror and falls on the floor. Eva giggles at his fall. Erik feels his face turn bright red as he gets up off of the floor. He can't help but suppress a smile. "Shall we go?" he says as if nothing happened. Eva finishes laughing and says, "Let's." She kisses him on the cheek before she runs through the mirror. Erik half smiles before following her through the passageway.

When Eva gets down into his lair, she immediately sits down at his table. When Erik sees her, he walks straight into the kitchen and puts on a kettle for tea. She always sits down at the table when she wants tea, which is almost every day.

The tea kettle whistles and he prepares everything to bring to Eva. He brings out the platter of tea and a bunch of little cookies. Eva is delighted and he can see it in her eyes. She grabs the tea cup as soon as he is finished pouring. He sits down when he pours his cup and Eva has a huge smile on her face. He furrows his brow. "Erik! We are only about three months away!" Erik half smiles. "Heh. No need to remind me!" Eva stifles a laugh.

Then they both sit and sip their tea for a few minutes. Erik doesn't feel like himself and he can't get _her_ out of his head. He has been having so many dreams, all with _her. _He gets up out of his seat, setting his tea down. Eva looks up at him. "I will be back in a moment." Before she even has time to ask why, he shuffles away into his bedroom.

Eva just shrugs and decides to go over to his organ. She sees he has knew sheet music sitting there, so she reads it. She smiles, expecting to read a fantastic new opera, but instead she reads a very sad song. Her smile fades as she reads these heart wrenching lyrics. She starts to tear up, feeling betrayal. Erik walks back in and sees her reading the music and he freezes. She whips around with teary eyes. He can tell she doesn't like what she reads. "Eva…I…" She puts her hand up to stop him, and he does.

"Erik, I know that song isn't about me. And I know you don't know what to think or who to love. When you do figure out who you love, tell me. I'll be waiting. Hey, maybe if it takes that long, your child and I will be waiting. I love you, Erik. But I don't know if that's true about you."

She starts to cry harder, but she holds back the sound of her sobs. Eva walks up to him, toe to toe. She looks down at her hand. At her ring. She pulls it off and places it in his. "Please…" he mutters. She shakes her head.

"Give that to your true love." Eva then turns around and walks out of the lair. Erik looks down at his hand and sighs. _"Give it to your true love." _The words playing over and over in his head. _I don't know who I love. _Erik didn't know. _Why did I even write that song? _

_**Hope you guys liked that! Again, please guess the song that he wrote! I want to see if anyone knows! Thanks see ya! **_


	15. For You

_**I hope you guys are liking the story! I am trying to make it very dramatic and put cliffhangers. So, I hope it's working. Sorry, no one can guess what the song is from last chapter because he will sing it in this chapter! So yeah I hope you guys like it. You know what in going to tell you to do, so you should do it! **_

_**~Lauren **_

_**OH AND THIS CHAPTER HAS SPOILERS ABOUT "Love Never Dies" (the Phantom sequel) **_

**Chapter 15 **

**For You**

Erik paces the floor thinking about Eva. He has been pacing and thinking for the past hour and can't stop mumbling to himself. He now stops and looks over at the organ and sees the sheet music of his song. He grunts and walks forcefully over to the music. He rips it off of the stand and stares at it. "I should rip it." He whispers. "But I can't." He shakes his head. He sits down at his organ and starts to play the piece.

_The day starts._

_The day ends. _

_Time crawls by. _

_Night steals in, pacing the floor. _

_The moments creep, _

_Yet I can't bear to sleep, _

_Till I hear you sing. _

Erik gets up out of his seat and decides to sing it a cappella. He starts walking around the room. Just thinking all about her_. _

_And weeks pass, _

_And months pass. _

_Seasons fly. _

_Still you don't walk through the door. _

_And in a haze, I count the silent days,_

_Till I hear you sing once more. _

He starts to tear up, just thinking. This song brings back so many memories of when he was in Coney Island. But he represses the memory as he continues his song.

_And sometimes, _

_At night times, _

_I dream that you are there. _

_But wake holding nothing but the empty air. _

_And years come. _

_And years go. _

_Time runs dry. _

_Still I ache down to the core. _

_My broken soul can't be alive and whole, _

_Till I hear you sing once more. _

Erik now has many tears streaming down his face. But he must finish his song. He needs to do this for her. He inhales deeply.

_And music, your music,_

_It teases at my ear. _

_I turn and it fades away. _

_And you're not here! _

He lets out all his sobs and can't hold it back anymore. This emotion and passion he is feeling is way too strong. This song is as close as he can get to her.

_Let hopes pass! _

_Let dreams pass! _

_Let them die! _

_Without you, _

_What are they for? _

_I'll always feel no more than halfway real. _

_Till I hear you sing, _

Erik falls down to his knees and peers into the room where he kept all of him mannequins of her. He inhales. _This is for you, Christine. _He thinks, before finishing his song.

_Once more! _

His cries echo through his whole lair. He can't stop it. Christine was his one and true love and now show was gone. Never to return. Erik still remembers that night. That night when Meg almost killed herself. She was hanging his son, Gustave, over the edge of a river. She would let him go if they tried to take the gun from her. They were all persuading her to not do anything bad or regretful, and she did eventually stop and let Gustave down. Then that's when the trigger was accidently pulled and the bullet went straight to Christine's stomach. And then… "Grrrr! STOP THINKING THAT! SHE'S GONE! She's gone…" Erik shouts.

He gets up off of the floor and sighs, his crying over. He then puts his hand in his back in his pocket, pulling out the ring. He sighs once again, not knowing what to do. His gut is telling him one thing, but his heart is telling him another. "The ring belongs to Eva, but my heart doesn't." Erik turns around and starts to walk up through the passageway to Eva's mirror.

When he gets to the mirror. He stops for a moment and breathes. "Here it goes." He whispers so soft that even he couldn't hear. Then he slowly slips the mirror open. Eva's head whips to look as she sees Erik emerging from the mirror. She gets up from her chair and meets him at the mirror. His whole body gets through the mirror and they stand, staring. He just holds out the ring, and she takes it. She half smiles. "So you do love me?" Erik doesn't say anything. They keep staring at each other. Neither of them know what to say. He then walks past her and starts to pace behind her. She turns and watches him in wonder.

"You still don't know. Your gut is telling you one thing and your heart is telling you another. Am I wrong?"

Erik stops dead in his tracks when she finishes. "That's exactly right." He says quietly.

Eva half smiles and says, "Erik, I want you to follow your heart. Whether you love me or not, I need us to be friends, and I need your help with our baby." Erik shakes his head.

"But, I can't follow my heart." Eva furrows her brow and meets him where he is standing. Then he leads her bed and they sit down.

"What do you mean?"

He starts to tear up again, but he will not cry. Not anymore.

"She is dead. I can't love her."

"Who?"

"GOD DAMMIT, EVA! You know who I mean! Stop making this harder…stop making me talk about her…" He starts to cry and doesn't hold back. Eva hugs him and rubs his back.

"I-I am so sorry, Erik. I had no idea. I should've stopped talking about her." He shakes his head. "It's fine. I just can't get over her. I want to love you, Eva. But, I just don't feel it right now. I don't even know if I will. But, I still want you to have the ring. It was meant for you." Eva nods. "Thank you. I am okay with you not loving me. All I am asking is that you help me with the baby." He grasps her hands tightly. "I promise, Eva! I promise with all my heart. And I never break promises. I can finally have a child again, and I am not going to ruin it."

Eva furrows her brow. "What do you mean you 'can have a child again'?" He sighs and looks at the floor. "Well, Christine and I made love the night before she got married. And we ended up having a son, which I didn't meet until he was ten years old when they came to America. Then I lost him when Christine died. Her husband took him away from me, and I have never seen him since." Another tear streams down his face.

"I am so sorry. Erik, this must be so much stress on you having to deal with me and then all this trauma! You need to go on a vacation or something like that." Erik shakes his head vigorously. "I could never leave you. The child is due in a few months and I need to stay here." Eva nods. "That is true."

Erik then gets up and says, "I must rest. I am so tired and stressed." Eva nods. He grabs her hand and takes the ring out of the other hand. He slips it on her hand and kisses it before slipping back through the mirror.


	16. More Than One

_**Well. I think the last chapter was very intense. I am hoping you guys are liking the story! Thank you so much for all the follows and favorites! It means a lot to me. So, here is the next chapter. Remember to read, follow, favorite, and review. Thanks. **_

_**~Lauren **_

**Chapter 16 **

**More Than One**

Eva has not seen Erik for almost a month, and she doesn't know when they will meet again. Eva was giving his space to think about if he loves her, and Erik just wasn't visiting because he didn't want to. Eva is very nervous because the baby is due in less than a week, and if Erik isn't here, she doesn't know what she will do. Her train of thought and worries is broken by a knock at the door. Her head faces it and she says, "Come in." The door creeps open and Meg slowly walks in. Eva walks up and meets her and Meg grabs her forearms. "Are you doing alright?" Eva nods with a sigh. But Meg can tell she isn't doing alright. "You're worried, Eva. I can tell." Eva looks down at her feet and smirks. "Have you even talked to him? Does he know how close the baby is?" Eva moves away from Meg's grasp and sits on her bed.

Meg follows and sits on the bed, looking at Eva with curious eyes. "I haven't talked or seen Erik in a month! The baby is going to come any day now, and I don't know what to do!"

Meg starts rubbing her back as she starts to cry. "He promised he would be here to help with the baby! I need him here, whether he loves me or not!" Meg wipes away her tears with her cheek. "You should go talk to him. If you won't, then, gosh darn it, I will!" She says forcefully as she smack the sheets with her free hand. Eva giggles softly and places a hand on Meg's knee. "Thank you, but I can handle this." Meg smiles too and nods, taking her hand. "I should actually-" she is cut off by a sharp pain in her stomach! He hands snaps down to her stomach and Meg jumps.

"Eva! Are you okay?"

Eva slowly moves her hand away but then it quickly snaps back and she grunts in pain, gritting her teeth. Meg's eyes bulge. "Meg, I think…"

Meg jumps off of the bed and runs to the door. But before she leaves she says, "I will go get my mother and we will take you to the hospital." Eva nods as the sweat starts beading down her forehead. Meg opens the door and starts running and shouting down the hall. "Mother! Mother, please help!" Madame Giry comes out of her office with wide eyes. "Meg! What happened?" Meg pants and tries to catch her breath. Then she says, "Eva is going into labor! Her baby is about to be born!"

Madame Giry's eyes just get bigger and she starts racing down the hall with Meg following. When they get back to the dressing room, they see Eva laying on the bed, heaving with her hand on her stomach. Meg and Madame Giry run to her side. Meg grabs her hand and a cloth. She starts to dab her head to pick up the sweat. Madame Giry is just eyeing her up and down, not knowing what to do. "Mother, what do we do?" She just shakes her head.

"There is no time to get her to the hospital now! The baby will have to be born here!" Meg's eyes bulge, but she quickly goes back to caring for Eva as she grunts in pain. Eva opens her mouth to say something, and Meg can tell. "G-get-t. E-Er-Erik!" Meg nods. But she really doesn't know what to do. Her head then pops up with an idea. She scurries over to the mirror and pries it open.

"ERIK! EVA IS IN LABOR!" she screams down the passageway.

Erik immediately stop playing his organ when he hears Meg yell. "ERIK! EVA IS IN LABOR!" His head whips around, pacing the passageway. He jumps up from the bench, knocking it over and then runs up the stairs. Skipping many as he goes. He finally slips through the mirror, panting like a dog. Erik runs over to the side of the bed and he grabs her hand. Eva tries to talk but she just grunts in pain once more and she feels another contraction. He shushes her and says, "Don't talk. I'm here. That's all that matters." Eva nods, trying to smile.

Madame Giry is now at the bottom of the bed, between Eva's open legs. "I need you to push!" Eva nods and then pushes hard. She screams in pain as she grips Erik's hand harder, making her knuckles turn white. "Again!" Madame Giry instructs. Eva pushes again forcefully. Madame Giry smiles. "I can see the head! You're almost there!" Erik smiles at her and she pushes again. "Once more!" Eva puts all the power she has into this last push.

Then a baby's cry echoes through the room.

Eva smiles at Erik and he returns it. Meg takes the baby and wraps it in a blanket. Eva looks at Madame Giry and expects to see her smiling, but instead her eyes are bulged. She is about to ask what is wrong, but then she yells, "I need you to push again!"

"But…" Eva tries to protest.  
"JUST PUSH!" Eva pushes again and another baby's cry enters the room. Eva looks at Erik and his face seems frozen in shock. "Erik...it's…" Meg takes the other baby and wraps that one. She got the first one to stop crying, but now she has to handle the other. She sets the first baby gently down on the chair and cradles the new one. Madame Giry looks at Eva.

"There is one more, mademoiselle."

Eva's eyes bulge and then she pushes. The last baby burst out into the room. "I will take care of this one." She says to Meg. Then she turns back to the couple. "Well, we must go and take these babies to the hospital to make sure they are healthy. And to find out what gender they are!" Madame Giry walks out with the third baby, and Meg walks out with the first one. Eva and Erik stare at each other in complete shock. Eva slowly sits up. Erik helps her get up off of the bed. She half smiles at him and whispers, "Triplets!" Erik just laughs and nods.

Then they go outside and meet the Girys at a carriage to go the hospital.

When they get to the hospital, they all wait outside of a room, waiting to hear about the babies. Eva is standing up, pacing and Erik is staring at the floor. Madame Giry sighs.

"You guys don't seem very excited."

"I am very excited! I just wasn't expecting triplets!" Eva says with a laugh. Erik laughs too and nods, picking up his head. Then before Erik can say anything, the doctor walks out with a huge smile. Everyone jumps up and crowd the doctor with wide eyes.

"Congratulations! You have healthy triplets. Two boys and a girl." Eva wraps her arms around Erik and he returns it. Meg and Madame Giry smile. Erik looks over at the doctor as Eva is still wrapped around him. "May we see them?" The doctor smiles and nods, opening the door. They all walk in slowly. They see three babies sleeping soundly. Eva is still holding onto Erik as they walk in. But she soon lets go when she rushes over to see her children. She starts to cry tears of joy when she motions for Erik to come over. He shuffles over with a smile and he grabs her waist. "They are so beautiful, Erik. I can't believe they are ours." The doctor then pipes in and says, "Oh. There is something I must tell you." Eva and Erik turn around to face him with worried looks. "The girl, is not able to grow hair."

Eva looks up at Erik and she tries to smile. "Thank you for telling us, doctor." He nods, and then walks out of the room. Meg says, "I am sorry, Eva." But she shakes her head. "No. It is fine." He nods and walks around to look at the third baby. He is smiling but then his smile fades. Eva sees him and she is concerned. "What's wrong?" Erik is crying very heavily but isn't making any noise.

"His face."


	17. Home

_**Its triplets! Can you believe it? Nah, I was planning it the whole time! So, anyway, I have nothing special to say, but to read, follow, review, and favorite. Thanks. **_

_**~Lauren **_

**Chapter 17 **

**Home **

"Erik? What is wrong?" Eva asks with much concern.

Erik shakes his head and looks up at Eva. "He…is…just so beautiful." Eva's shoulders drop and she sighs in relief. "Oh, thank God! I thought something was wrong! You scared me." Erik shrugs. "Sorry." He says. Eva laughs. They all stand in silence and just look at the beautiful babies in awe. But then Eva suddenly gasps. "Erik!" His eyes bulge and he rushes over to her. "What is it?"

"We didn't think of another boy's name!"

Erik laughs and says, "Well…I have an idea…as long as you're okay with it." Eva nods. "I am sure I will be. What is it?" Erik looks at the floor and he starts to tear up. Eva lifts his chin. "Gustave. After my other son. Would that be okay?" Eva smiles and grabs his hands. "That is beautiful. We have Angel, Rose, and Gustave." He smiles and kisses her cheek.

Then Madame Giry and Meg quietly exit the room without them knowing so they can reminisce in this beautiful moment. Erik sees them leave and he mouths the words "Thank you." As they leave.

After he kisses her cheek, she looks at him, sadly with watery eyes. "What is it?" Erik asks her. She shakes her head and softly sighs. "I don't get how you can treat me like that and not love me." Erik grabs her cheeks and says, "Eva, you are my best friend and my first friend. I can never repay you for everything you have given me. I do love you, but as a friend. We are best friends, Eva. Isn't that enough?" Eva shrugs as a tear rolls down her cheek. "But, friends don't have kids." Erik takes his hands off her cheeks and backs away.  
"How many times do I have to tell you?! We were DRUNK!" he yells.

"Erik! Be quiet! You are going to wake the kids!" She sighs and puts her hands up. "Listen, I don't want to talk about this now. This is a happy day. We have children!" Erik inhales and nods. "But there is only one problem, Erik." He raises his eyebrows. "We have triplets we need a house! We need to take the kids home today!"

Erik smiles slowly. "Grab the kids. I'll take Angel and Gustave." Eva furrows her brow but doesn't ask any questions. They take the kids and walk outside to a carriage. Erik whispers directions to the coachmen and then sits down.

Then they take a long carriage ride and then they finally stop. Eva looks over at Erik with a smirk. He giggles. "Close your eyes." She smiles. "Erik…?" He puts out his hand. "Trust me." She nods and takes his hand, but keeping a good grip on Rose. They walk slowly up a trail, the sound of stones trailing. They suddenly stop and Erik says, "Open your eyes."

Eva opens her eyes to see a glorious house standing before her. She gasps. "Oh, my! Erik it's so beautiful! This is really ours?" Erik nods. She goes to talk again but she stops when he puts up his finger. "But wait! It gets better! Let's go inside!" They walk up to the house, going up the stair and enter the door. "It is so nice in here!"

"The best thing is upstairs." He leads her upstairs and he opens one of the bedrooms. There is a beautiful nursery with a crib in the corner and so many beautiful paintings all over the wall. There is a rocking chair, many toys, blankets, and everything you need to take care of a baby. "Erik! This is all too much!"

"This is what I was doing during that month when I wasn't seeing you. I bought the house and got all the furniture, appliances, and got the nursery set up."

"Thank you, so much, Erik. But we need two more cribs!" They both laugh.

"I think we can fit them all in one for now." She nods. They walk over to the crib and slowly puts the babies down. They all fit perfectly.

"We are finally home. Thank you."

He kisses her on top of her head as they go into their own bedroom to take a long nap after a hard day.


	18. Love Does Die

_**Hey! I really hope you guys are liking this story. This story is going to end soon, sadly, but don't worry, I will have other fanfics. So there is probably about three or four more chapters. I can honestly say I have loved all the support I have been getting. I really appreciate it. Well, anyway, please read, follow, favorite, and review. Thank you. **_

_**~Lauren**_

**Chapter 18 **

**Love Does Die**

Eva hums a lullaby as she rocks back and forth on the rocking chair holding Angel. Erik walks in and leans against the wall and smiles at her. She sees him and smiles back. Angel's eyes finally close and his breathing is soft and light. "I think he is asleep now." She whispers, getting up. She sets Angel down in the crib next to Rose and Gustave. Then she walks over to Erik. "Can we go downstairs and you play something?" Erik smirks and nods. He walks out of the room and down the stairs. Eva follows anxiously. He leads her over to his organ and he sits at the bench. He moves over to make room for Eva and sits down.

"Any requests?"

Eva moves her eyes around the room, thinking, and then she says, "Something you wrote."

Erik thinks for a moment and then places his hands on the keys, playing a chord. He starts to sing, his angelic voice filling the room.

_Nighttime sharpens, _

_Heightens each sensation. _

_Darkness stirs, _

_And wakes imagination. _

_Silently the senses, _

_Abandon their defenses. _

Erik looks over to see Eva's reaction, but she has her eyes closed, embracing the moment. Erik smiles to himself and then starts playing and singing once more.

_Slowly, gently. _

_Night unfurls its splendor. _

_Grasp it. _

_Sense it. _

_Tremulous and tender. _

_Turn your face away from the garish light of day. _

_Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light. _

_And listen to the music of the night. _

Eva starts swaying to the music and Erik finds this very amusing. But he can tell she is getting a sense of arousal. Which makes his aroused. But he needs to stop and he know. He doesn't want this to lead to something.

_Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams._

_Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before. _

_Close your eyes. _

_Let your spirit start to soar. _

_And you'll live as you've never lived before. _

_Softly, deftly._

_Music shall surround you. _

_Hear it. _

_Feel it. _

_Closing in around you. _

_Open up your mind, _

_Let your fantasies unwind. _

_In this darkness, _

_Which you know you cannot fight. _

_The darkness of the music of the night. _

_Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world. _

_Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before._

_Let your soul take you where you long to be. _

_Only then, can you belong to me. _

_Floating, falling. _

_Sweet intoxication. _

_Touch me. _

_Trust me. _

_Savor each sensation. _

Eva puts her hand on his knee and starts working its way up his leg. Erik looks down at her hand, but doesn't stop her quite yet. She slowly moves her palm up to his crotch, and begins to fidget with the buttons on his pants. That is when Erik grabs her hand tight. Her eyes shoot open and she gasps.

"Eva, no." he whispers.

She looks at him with sad eyes. "Erik…I want you…I need you." She says quietly.

"I don't want to feel like I'm using you."

She takes his hand. "You won't, Erik. If we both want each other, you aren't using me."

Erik shakes his head. "I can't, Eva."

He gets up from the bench and walks into the other room, leaving Eva alone at the organ. She decides to look through the other music to see if she can sing anything. She sees a song on the very bottom of the pile. The paper is very beat up. All the edges and corners are cut and there seems to be burned a little. Eva shrugs and puts it on the stand. "I learned a bit of organ. Let's see if I can play this." She mutters to herself. She looks at the notes and realizes it isn't that hard. She starts to sing and play the song.

_Who knows when love begins? _

_Who knows what makes it start?_

_One day, it's simply there. _

_A life inside your heart. _

_It slips into your thoughts. _

_It infiltrates your soul. _

_It takes you by surprise. _

_Then seizes full control. _

_Try to deny it, _

_And try to protest. _

_But love won't let you go._

_Once you've been possessed. _

_Love never dies. _

_Love never falters. _

Erik runs in the room and grabs the sheet music forcefully off the podium. Eva whips around to see fire burning in his eyes.

"NEVER PLAY THAT SONG! EVER!"

Eva's eyes bulge and she doesn't know what to say.

"Do you understand?"

Eva nods with a very scared expression. Erik sees this and his face calms. The fire in his eyes is replaced with regret and he wants to apologize.

"That song isn't even true. Love does die. Or maybe it wasn't even there." Eva whispers, wrapping her arms around herself. Erik opens his mouth to talk, but Eva walks upstairs to go to her bedroom.

Erik looks down at his hand and sees the song. "Oh, Christine." He whispers.

He puts the song back at the bottom of the pile of music. Then he goes upstairs to check on the kids, acting like nothing had happened.


	19. Not Right

_**Well there is there is only two more chapters, not including this one. This one should have a bit of a cliffhanger, and it will be dramatic, I think. Anyway, just please, read, follow, favorite, and review. Thank you for all the support throughout this story. **_

_**~Lauren **_

**Chapter 19 **

**Not Right**

Erik wakes up alone in his bed without Eva at his side. He assumes she is in with the kids, so he gets up and walks down the hall into the nursery. But, he doesn't see Eva sitting in the rocking chair with one of the kids. So he walks down the stairs and looks in the music room. Not there. Then he hears a loud crash in the kitchen. He walks in and sees Eva cleaning up a shattered tea cup. He runs over and bends down and helps her pick it up.

"I can get it." She tries to protest, but he still helps. Once they get all the pieces, they throw them all in the waste basket. Erik sits down at the kitchen table. Eva sits down too once she gets her new tea cup and pours some tea in it. He sees that she is sad. "Are you mad at me about what I said yesterday?" Eva shakes her and sips her tea. "I am very tired, Erik. I have been up all night with the kids, so I didn't get much sleep. And I don't blame you for yelling at me. I should not have been going through your things."

Erik feels bad for yelling, but he doesn't know what to say. "I should help with the kids more. You are doing so much work, and I feel terrible." Eva shakes her head once more. "It's okay. You haven't handled a child in a very long time." He shrugs. "Would you like some tea?" He nods. "Yes, please." Eva gets up from the table, grabs a tea cup from the cupboard, and pours some warm tea in it. He grabs the cup and nods in gratitude.

They sit for a few moments, sipping their tea. Eva keeps staring at him and he can't help but wonder why. He sets his tea down and smirks. "Why are you staring at me?" She smiles. "Take off your mask." Erik's eyes bulge slightly, but he doesn't want to disappoint her. He sighs and puts his hand over his mask. He pulls it off, but he keeps the wig on. Eva smiles and Erik is shocked at her reaction.

"You're so adorable."

Erik laughs. "How am I adorable?"

Eva shrugs. "I don't know, you just are!" She giggles which makes Erik laugh as he puts his mask back on.

They keep sipping their tea, then they suddenly hear a cry coming from up the stairs. They both groan. Eva goes to get up, but Erik puts his hand up. "I got it." She smiles as he leaves.

Erik walks up the stairs and into the nursery. Angel is screaming and kicking, which isn't waking up the other babies. But he rushes over to make sure he doesn't wake the others. He grabs Angel and sits in the rocking chair. He rocks back and forth singing to Angel.

_You are my angel of music. _

_You are my angel of music. _

He repeatedly sings the same line with the same melody. Angel eventually calms down and goes back to sleep. He keeps rocking him though to just make sure he stay asleep. As his breathing is slow and steady, Erik gets up and places him back next to Rose and Gustave. He turns around and sees Eva standing in the doorway. "You are so good with kids." She states. Erik smiles. "Thank you."

Eva turns around and walks back downstairs. But Erik stays there. _Something isn't right. _He thinks. _I feel like this isn't right. _He starts to tear up. _That should be Christine. NO-she is gone! Stop thinking about her. You have a wonderful family with Eva. And she knows you don't love her, so everything is okay. Right? No. _But he just shrugs it off and walks back downstairs and into the music room to play. Hopefully that will ease his mind.

Later, in the middle of the night, while Eva lay sleeping, Erik lay awake. Thinking. Thinking about Eva. Thinking about the children. Thinking about Coney Island and all his employees. And especially thinking about Christine.

_I should not be in this bed with someone I don't love. Christine should be here. Those kids should be Christine's. Our Gustave should be sleeping in his room. I should be with Christine. Why couldn't I have died instead? She had Raoul. She could live with someone else. Whereas, I can't. _

He sighs starting to cry. _I need you Christine. _He turns on his side and he gasps. "Christine?" he says. He immediately covers his mouth. But he could've sworn he saw Christine standing against the wall. Erik jumps up and sits on the edge of the bed. He looks behind him to make sure he didn't wake up Eva. He sees she is still sound asleep and he is very relieved.

He looks back over at the wall to see if Christine was still there, but she was not there. He starts whispering a line from a song he wrote.

_And sometimes at night times, _

_I dream that you are there. _

_But wake holding nothing but the empty air. _

He starts crying, but holds back all the noise he could be making. Erik gets up off the bed and walks over to his wardrobe. He lights a single candle so he can see. He rummages through his wardrobe and finds a simple white, button up, shirt. He takes off his night shirt and slips that one on. He also throws off his pants and puts on a black pair. Erik then walks back over to his nightstand and slips his mask.

He walks out of the bedroom and down the hall to the nursery. He opens the door slowly and is happy to see his beautiful babies soundly sleeping. He walks up the crib and kisses them all on the head. He turns back to the door. "I love you." He whispers before closing the door.

Erik rushes down the stairs and grabs his shoes and ties them on. He stands off of the couch where he tied his shoes, and walks slowly through the house. _I am going to miss this place. But I don't belong here. I must go somewhere I am accepted. _Before he goes to the door, he goes into the music room and grabs his pile of sheet music. He starts to shove it all in a folder, but he thinks he should leave one for Eva. He pulls out the sheet music for 'The Music of the Night' and lays it on the top of the organ.

Erik sighs and gets up from the bench. He walks to the door, and opens it slowly. He turns around and looks at the house. He smiles and then walks out the door.

He runs to the dock in hopes on the ferry in enough time. He gets there just as they are about to disembark. Erik runs onto the boat and finds a seat next to an old gentleman. He sighs in relief. _I am finally going back to the place where I belong. _And that place is Coney Island.


	20. All Alone

_**There shall be two more chapters! It will all be over on Wednesday. Well it has been a great ride and I hope you like these last few chapters. Thanks for everything you have said, and it has really helped me right. It gave me a little motivation. So, thank you. Read, follow, favorite, and review. **_

_**~Lauren**_

**Chapter 20 **

**All Alone**

Eva wakes up with a yawn and looks over and furrows her brow. But, she just shrugs, assuming Erik is downstairs making breakfast or in the music room. She throws the covers off and walks out of her bedroom. She peaks into the nursery and smiles before walking downstairs. She looks all around and does not see Erik anywhere. She feels a pang of worry hit her. "Erik?" she says, hoping he is hiding or something like that to scare her. "Please, Erik. Come out." But the house stays silent. Eva starts to tear up.

She runs over to the door and yells out of it. "Erik?! Where are you?!" She has many tears streaming down her face now. She runs back inside and starts pacing back and forth in the music room. "Okay," she talks to herself. "He could be out running errands. Yeah. That's probably what it is." She sobs harder now. "Oh, no! I just have a feeling he is gone forever! He is gone!" She looks over at the organ. She walks over to it and sees that all of his music is gone. Except, for that one song.

She picks up the sheet music slowly and stares at it. A tear falls and hits the notes, making it smear. "Now it's ruined!" she screams and starts tearing up the music in fury and sorrow. How could he do this to her? They had triplets to take care of!

After she is finally done tearing up the music and watching it fall to the floor, Eva keeps crying and screaming. _Even if he didn't love me, we were best friends! He said he would be there for our kids always. But now look at him! He's gone. He is who knows where! _She sighs and her tears eventually dry up and she is done crying.

A sudden cry burst from upstairs. Her head whips toward the stairs and she rushes up them. She opens the door and sees Rose screaming, crying, and kicking. Eva rushes over and grabs her. She shushes her and bonces her up and down ever so slightly. But, Rose does not calm down. "Please, Rose. Calm down. Oh, how I wish you could talk. Then you could tell me what's wrong." Rose has many a tears running down her face, and Eva feels terrible for not being able to help.

Eva decides to sit in the rocking chair, and try rocking her. _Maybe that will stop her cries. _And eventually it does. Rose sleeps soundly in Eva's arms after many minutes of crying. She, surprisingly, didn't wake up the boys._ None of them ever wakes the others up. _Eva quietly giggles and sets Rose back in the middle of the crib.

She half smiles at seeing her babies sleeping. She just wish they could have a father.

Eva stays down in her kitchen all day, drinking tea. _I wish there was someone here to comfort me. _Eva thinks she shouldn't report him as missing because Eva can tell he meant to leave. He didn't feel right here. Eva knows it. _I can't get any of his songs out of my head. _Then she remembers a line from a song that Erik had written for Christine. And it fits this situation perfectly. She sings it out loud to herself, not caring who hears.

_And music, _

_Your music. _

_It teases at my ear. _

_I turn and it fades away. _

_And you're not here! _

She starts crying once more. Even though he didn't love her, she doesn't care. She just needs him there. Especially for the children. But she refuses to cry more and forcefully wipes away her tears. She feels depression sinking into her soul. Deep down into her soul.

She sings the next lines of his song. That is how she feels.

_Let hopes pass! _

_Let dreams pass! _

_Let them die! _

_Without you, _

_What are they for? _

_I'll always feel no more than halfway real. _

_Till I hear you sing, _

_Once more! _

Eva wraps her arms around herself and sobs once again. She can't hold back. She sips the last of her tea and slams the cup back down. "What am I going to do?" She sighs and sits back up, facing reality.

"If he wants to come back, he will. But, until then, I shall take care of the children myself."

She stands up from her seat, wipes her tears, and clenches her jaw.

"I will never tell them of their father. He is not important."


	21. Epilogue: Part 1

_**Now we are in the epilogue! I hope I am keeping you all interested with this story. I am trying to give you cliffhangers to keep you interested, so I hope it is working. Tomorrow it all ends! But I will have other stories. Thanks for everything. **_

_**~Lauren **_

**Chapter 21**

**Epilogue: Part 1**

"Mother!" Gustave runs into the kitchen, followed by Angel and Rose. Eva sees her children and smiles.

"What is it, my dears?"

All the children smirk at each other and then turn back to their mother. Eva smirks back, furrowing her brow.

"What are we going to do for our birthday?" Gustave blurts out.

"We are turning thirteen!" Rose says.

"It's kind of a big deal!" Angel says with a shrug of his shoulders.

Eva giggles and then sits down at the table. Her children instantly sit down too, waiting intently for the answer. "Well what would you like to do?" They all shrug in unison. "Something special!" Rose says with a smile. The boys nods in agreement. They sit for s few seconds, thinking.

"Well what would you kids want? I have no idea what to buy you!" All the kids jump in their sits. They all have ideas. Gustave and Angel seem very happy, but as soon as Rose smiles, it fades and she slumps back in her seat. Eva furrows her brow, but doesn't ask questions.

"I want a violin!" Gustave exclaims.

"I would like some more paint and brushes." Angel states.

And Rose is still slumped in her seat. The boys notice too.

"Rose? Are you okay?"

She picks herself up and sits up straight. "I just don't know if you can get me what I want."

"Anything, darling."

Rose looks at the floor and sighs. "I would like a new wig, mother."

Eva's eyebrows jump. "What is wrong with the one you have?" Rose slips off her wig and holds it in front of her, and for everyone else to see. "I want short hair, mother!" she says with a huge smile. "I would still keep this one if I want longer hair. But I want short hair. I still want brown hair, so you don't have to worry about paying more money for a different color. I just want shorter hair. I don't want to cut this one. Oh, please, mother! I will do anything I can possible can to be worthy of a new wig!"

Eva starts to tear up at this girl's compassion and longing for long hair. Eva smiles at all of them, especially Rose. "I will do everything I can to get all that you children want!" The boys jump up from their seats, high five, and run away, leaving Rose behind. Rose slips her wig back on as the boys run away. She runs up to Eva and hugs her so tight. "Thank you, mother."

They release and they smile at each other.

"Come on, Rose!" they hear Angel yell from the other room. Rose then turns around and runs off into the other room. Eva giggles and just thinks about how happy Erik would be to see this life. The life he could've had. But Eva shrugs it off, suppressing the memory. Eva looks around her house and sees all of her children's things lying around the room. She gets up and walks over into the other room to pick up the things on the carpet.

She picks up Rose's brush, Gustave's sheet music, and Angel's drawings. Eva sits down on the couch, and looks through Angel's sketches. _He is truly gifted. _He drew Gustave, Rose, Eva, and the house. He draws nature and all his surroundings. They are all so realistic. She gets to the last picture and gasps. Her heart skips a beat. She sees the most realistic drawing…of Erik. _How does he know what Erik looks like? Or even about him? _

She sets the drawing down, rubbing her temples. "Angel…Angel! Can you come in here?" She yells for him and she soon hears footsteps coming down the hallway. Angel walks into the room. Rose and Gustave's heads peeking out the side of the wall. "Yes, mother?" She holds up the picture for him to see.

"Where did you see this man, Angel?"

"Just in my dreams."

"How long have you been having these dreams?"

"Pretty much, my whole life. Why? Is there something wrong?"

"No, nothing is wrong, dear. Were these bad dreams?"

"No! Not at all! He was always singing and playing the most beautiful music! They are wonderful dreams."

Gustave walks into the room and chimes into the conversation. "I have the dreams too. I have had them for as long as Angel has."

Eva becomes worried and wonders if this is like the same thing that happened to Christine was she was visited by him.

"Rose? Can you come in here?"

Rose creeps in and stands in the middle of the boys. "Do you see this man in your dreams too?" Rose nods. Eva's eyes bulge and she starts running her hand through her hair. "But I know who he is, unlike the boys." Eva's head shoots up and she looks at her daughter with wide eyes. "Who is it?" Gustave asks curiously.

"It's father."

Eva's eyes bulge, but she immediately stops herself because she doesn't want her kids to get any ideas. Angel and Gustave look at her like she is crazy.

"It's not father! It is just some random man!" Angels yells at her. Rose glares at him. Gustave and Angel then leave the room laughing at Rose's remark. Rose then walks up to Eva. "It is him. I can feel it. Please, tell me, mother. Is this father?" Eva grabs her daughter's hands. "My dear, it is your father." Rose smiles. "But, I don't get how you could possibly know this. He left me when you were only a few days old." Rose shrugs. "I don't know either. If I knew I would tell you." They both giggle. "Please don't tell the boys. They don't need to know about your father. I will tell you all the story someday." Rose smiles once more. Eva smiles back. "Now, go play hang out with your brothers." Rose scurries out of the room, but soon comes back in.

"I also know that father is in America."


	22. Epilogue: Part 2

_**Last chapter, people! I can honestly say, I am sad that this is ending. I loved writing about my character, Eva and her life with Erik. It has been a great journey and I am glad you guys are liking it. I may make…a sequel to this. IF YOU GUYS WANT ME TO! I would love if someone could say if they wanted a sequel or not. Be totally honest! Thanks. And here is the last chapter of "First". **_

_**~Lauren **_

**Chapter 22**

**Epilogue: Part 2**

Eva stands in the kids' room, waiting for them all to lay down. She hears them all arguing, but she tunes them out, thinking about what Rose had said earlier about how Erik was in America. There could not be anyway she knows where he is. It doesn't even make sense how she knows that drawing is Erik.

"Mother!"

Her head snaps up and she looks at Rose with a light smile. "What is it, darling?"

"There is a letter for you from father."

Eva's eyes bulge and she furrows her brow. "Where is it?"

"Oh, it hasn't come yet." Rose says with a shake of her head. Angel rolls his eyes at this remark.

"Just shut up about father! We don't have a father! He left us! He didn't want us and we will never hear from him!"

Rose slumps down in her bed and Eva drops her jaw.

"Angel! That is no way to talk to your sister!"

"But, he isn't wrong!" Gustave says.

Eva glares at him with big eyes. "Gustave, now don't you start!"

Angel and Gustave sit on their beds and stare at their mother. Rose is fiddling with her thumbs as tears roll down her face and hit the covers on her bed. Eva runs over and kneels next to her daughter. She rubs her back and scolds at her sons. "I want you to apologize to Rose. Both of you." Rose picks up her head and holds up a hand. She sits up straight and says confidently, "No, mother. I will prove them wrong when the letter comes. They will see." Eva looks at her daughter with a look that is asking her if she is sure about the decision she is making. Rose smiles at her mother and kisses her on the cheek.

"Goodnight, mother. I love you."

"Goodnight, Rose." She says with a kiss on her head. She gets up from the side of her bed and walks over to Gustave. She kisses him on the head. "Goodnight, Gustave." He smiles as she walks over to Angel and kisses him on the head. "Goodnight, Angel. Be nice to your sister." He shrugs. They all start to nestle into bed, but Eva intrudes.

"Wait, children. You must say your prayers." The boys groan, but Rose smiles. They all get out of bed and kneel down on the floor. "I'll do it tonight." Rose says.

"Dear God, let you bless this family and this house. Let you bless us with happiness and joy throughout our lives and let no harm come to anyone. Please, bless my two brothers, Angel and Gustave. Bless, my mother. And…bless my father. Whom we may not know of, but he is still part of this family and I love him. Amen."

"Amen." The boys mutter and scurry into their beds. Rose slowly gets up off her knees and climbs into bed. Eva watches her daughter in astonishment. For she said the most beautiful prayer she had ever heard. Even though she did not know Erik, she still cared and loved for him. _She is a special little girl. _Eva thinks with delight.

Eva turns around and exits their bedroom. She walks downstairs and goes into the kitchen. She grabs her supplies she needs for tea, and sets the pot down on the stove. As she waits for it to whistle, she talks to herself.

"She is a wonderful child. How could she know so much about Erik? I want to ask her some more questions, but I don't want to push her. She is only twelve, well, almost thirteen." She says with a slight laugh. "Thirteen years. Thirteen years has gone without Erik being at my side. I will never know why he left. But it shouldn't matter. He is gone, and I will move on."

"Is he really in America? Was Rose right? And when will that letter come? Oh, god, this is driving me crazy." She sighs and calms herself down. "I will just have to see."

As her tea whistles, she thinks about their birthday just two days from now. And about when and where she will find that new wig for Rose.

**Two Days Later**

Eva creeps through the bedroom door. Her children are still sleeping and she has no idea how she will wake them up. But she comes up with an easy and sure idea.

"HAPPYYY! BIRTHDAYYYY!" Eva screams in a sing-song voice. The boys groan and cover their ears. But Rose pops up from her bed with a huge smile. Eva rushes over and hugs her daughter. "Thank you, mother." She whispers in her ear. They release their hug and Eva smiles at her daughter. "Now help me get your brothers up." They both giggle and they both walk to different boys.

Rose goes over to Gustave and Eva goes over to Angel. They start shaking the boys back and forth. They scream many things about how it is going to be a great day and it's their birthday. Eva starts tickling Angel and Rose copies, doing it to Gustave. The boys try to hold back their giggles, but they can't, Laughter erupts through the room and the girls start laughing too. Angel creeps up out of bed. He is still being tickled, but he is able to get out some words.

"Alright! Alright, I'm up! I'm up!" Eva release from his stomach and she ruffles his hair. Gustave has sat up too, but he doesn't says anything. He still looks half asleep. "Come on, Gustave. Get up." Eva chimes. "Gustave…I made pancakes."

His eyes swell and a giant smiles appears on his face. He dashes out of the room and the sound of his feet slamming on the stairs echoes through the foyer. The remaining few in the bedroom laugh. They start walking down the stairs.

When they get to the kitchen they see that Gustave has already grabbed a pile of pancakes and is now drenching them in maple syrup.

"Did you leave any for us?" Rose says with a giggle.

"Sorry!" he says as he shoves a pancakes into his mouth. All the others sit down at the table and grab their pancakes.

When they are finished breakfast, Eva looks at her children with a smirk.

"Shall we open presents?" The kids gain smiles that reach from ear to ear. Eva motions with her head to the other room. "In the family room." The kids jump out of their seats and run onto the floor, waiting to receive their gifts. Eva then pulls three boxes out from behind the couch. She hands them to each of the kids as she says their names. "Gustave, Angel, and Rose. Happy Birthday. I love you all."

They all open their boxes fast, except for Rose. Gustave explodes with joy when he sees the beautiful violin. "Oh! This is amazing!" Angel is also very happy when he sees the big palette of colors and a bunch of different brushes of all different shapes and sizes. "Oh, this is wonderful!" he exclaims.

And Rose has just opened the box and she peers down into it. Her jaw drops progressively and a gasp escapes from her mouth. "Oh…mother…" She picks up the wig slowly from the box, making sure she doesn't mess it up. She looks over at her mother with watery eyes. "It is beautiful. I don't know who to repay you." A tear rolls down her cheek. She sets the wig down and rushes up to her mother. She gives her a warm hug. "Thank you, mother. I love you."

Eva feels very proud as a mother and could not be happier at her child's reaction. They release when they hear a small creaking sound at the door.

"That's the mail." Gustave says.

"That's the letter from father." Rose says. The boys groan and rolls their eyes.

"Angel, go fetch the mail." He nods and runs off to the door. He comes back with one letter. He hands it to his mother. She takes the letter, nervously. Eva looks over at daughter. Rose nods with a smile. She slowly opens it. She moves her eyes over the words and her eyes bulge. She looks back up at Rose, once she is finished, with a dropped jaw.

"It is from father…isn't it?"

Eva is absolutely speechless. "Uh….um…kids, could you go into the other room? Thank you" The kids scamper out of the room into the music room.

Eva looks around the room, not knowing what to say.

The letter was from Erik.

She has to read the letter once more to just make sure this is real life.

_Dear Eva, _

_I am sorry for leaving you thirteen years ago. I did not feel right living with someone I didn't love. I still love those kids, and I hope I can see them one day. I am in Coney Island. So I am very far. But it is only a short ferry ride away. It would not take long if you were to come here. I have opened my freak show back up. 'Mister Y's Phantasma.' _

_I also want you to wish the children a happy birthday for me. And I hope you can understand why I am gone. I hope you are not too upset with me. Please, if you would like, write me back and we can send many messages. I have no problems writing to you. I hope you can understand. _

_Remember, you were my first friend. I don't want that relationship to go away. _

_Sincerely, _

_Erik. _

Eva smiles. "His first friend." She whispers. That brings her so much joy to know that she means so much to him, even though he doesn't love her. _I will definitely write back._ Eva has had a great life and will forever.

She had her first best friend, first time, first relationship, first loss, first house, and now her first family.

_**Welp. There it is. That was "First". So, if you guys ever want me to write a sequel, I will. I will only do it if you guys want it. Thanks so much for the support and I will see you later. **_


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